•NRLF 


/    BERKELEY  A 

I    LIBRARY    I 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 


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A  Boyar  of  the  Terrible. 

1    ROMANCE   OF   Till:   COURT   OF  J  VAX   THE   CRUEL, 

first  ts  i/.'  of  buss1  l. 

By  Feed.  Whishaw, 
Author  of  'Out  of  Doors  in  Tsarland,'  etc. 


CHAPTER   I. 

AX    IMPERIAL   FOOTPAD. 

I  LIKE  David,  have  been  young,  though  now  I  am  old;  and 
%  before  I  go  down  to  the  grave  I  have  a  mind  to  set  down 
some  of  my  recollections  of  t lie  curious  relations  that  subsisted 
between  myself  and  my  master  Ivan,  ihe  first  Russian  Caesar,  and 

I  suppose  the  greatesl    Russian  who  has  up  to  this  time  tasted 
(rod's  air  and  walked  this  earth  of  His. 

My  dear  master  and  friend  has  gone  to  the  grave  before  me; 
but  I  thank  the  Almighty  that  before  it  pleased  Him  to  take  my 
sovereign  to  Himself,  it  seemed  good  to  Him  to  reconcile  us  two, 
one  to  the  other ;  for.  alas  !  we  had  been,  largely  through  my  own 
action,  as  I  freely  acknowledge  and  admit,  estranged  for  many 
years,  and  though  I  have  many  and  many  a  time  endeavoured  to 
reinstate  myself  in  my  master's  favour,  yet  until  the  las 
years  of  his  eventful  life  I  never  fully  did  so.  Doubtless,  I  did 
not  deserve  his  friendship.  I  repeat  again  and  again  that  mine 
was  the  fault,  for  I  offended  against  the  Anointed  of  the  Lord, 
and  set  my  youthful  will  against  that  of  my  beloved  friend  and 
sovereign ;  and  for  this  sin  my  severe  but  just  master  could  never 
forgive  me  in  my  manhood,  nor,  indeed,  till  advancing  age  had 
softened  both  our  hearts,  and  drawn  together  the  spirits  which 
had  been  so  familiar  in  youth. 

My  master  has  been  called  cruel.     It  i-  said  that    lie  will  be 
known   to  all  time  as    Tvam    Qraanui:  the  cruel,  the  terrible. 

123 


1 86  A   BO  YAM   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

Knowing  him  as  I  knew  him  I  must  say  this  :  that  if  ever  one 
human  body  contained  two  distinct  personalities;  or  rather,  it 
ever  the  good  and  the  evil  which  co-exist  in  the  person  of  every 
human  being  on  this  earth,  were  so  divided  in  the  individuality 
of  one  man  that  they  gave  to  that  man  the  appearance  of  being 
now  wise  and  good  as  a  god,  and  now  cruel  and  wanton  as  a 
devil,  the  Tsar  Ivan  Yassilievitch  was  he.  My  master  was  distinctly 
two  men  in  one.  "Who  shall  blame  him  ;  who  shall  judge  him  ? 
Consider  his  boyhood,  of  which  I  shall  presently  give  a  picture — for 
was  not  I  one  of  his  chosen  companions  and  playmates  ? — father- 
less from  the  age  of  three ;  motherless  from  the  age  of  eight 
years;  the  deliberately  neglected  victim  of  those  base  men — 
Shuisky  and  Belsky  and  their  following,  the  self-appointed 
Eegents  of  the  Empire :  left  by  them,  of  their  fiendish  and  in- 
terested cunning,  to  indulge  his  unbridled  tempers  and  passions 
to  the  top  of  his  bent,  without  warning  or  remonstrance,  without 
advice  or  saving  counsel,  or  even  the  bare  classification  of  matters 
into  the  Right  and  the  Wrong :  what  chance,  I  say,  had  this  lad 
of  growing  up  into  a  merciful  and  wise  and  clement  prince,  such 
as  nature  perhaps  intended  him  to  be  ?  I  say  that  my  dear 
master  did  not  enjoy  such  opportunity,  in  his  boyhood,  of  learn- 
ing to  distinguish  vice  from  virtue,  as  is  enjoyed  at  his  ignorant 
mother's  knee  by  the  lowest  serf-boy  in  the  land.  Shuisky  was 
to  blame,  and  Shuisky  only.  But  before  I  enter  upon  a  descrip- 
tion of  my  youthful  days  and  of  my  relations  with  my  beloved 
young  Tsar,  let  me  say  a  word  about  myself,  and  explain  who  I 
am  and  why  I  am  writing  this  record. 

Well,  I  am  Alexander  Stroganof,  a  count  and  boyarin  of  the 
holy  Russian  Empire.  My  English  friends,  in  after  years,  used 
to  call  me  '  strong  enough,'  which  words  in  the  English  language 
approach  somewhat  in  sound  to  that  of  my  name  '  Stroganof,'  and 
signify,  in  their  tongue,  '  possessing  sufficient  strength,'  which, 
the  English  were  wont  to  declare  laughingly,  was  an  appropriate 
title  for  me — and  in  truth  I  think  it  was.  for  I  am,  or  was.  strong 
enough  to  be  too  strong  for  most  of  my  fellow-creatures  with 
whom  I  have  come  at  various  times  in  contact. 

As  for  my  reason  for  setting  down  this  record,  it  is  enough  to 
say  that  I  can  write  without  effort,  being  an  educated  man  and 
travelled ;  and  that  I  am  old  and  somewhat  worn  and  depressed ; 
and  that  it  comforts  me  to  occupy  myself  with  my  pen ;  and, 
furthermore,  that  I  have  much  to  tell,  and  wish  to  tell  it  before  I 
go  down  to  the  grave. 


A  BOYAR   OF   THE    TERRIBLE.  ,.., 

My  home  is  at  Perm,  beneath  the  Urals,  near  the  greal  Kama 
river,  and  it  was  with  my  uncle.  Sime6n  Stroganof,  the  renowned 
merchant,  that  T  6rst  came,  as  a  boy,  to  Moscow:  I  to  see  the 
world,  my  older  kinsman  to  see  the  guardians  of  the  Tsar  as  to 

the  widening  of  our  territory  on  the  Kama,  and  other  matters  of 
business. 

My  kinsman  left  me  very  much  to  myself  in  the  great 
capital  city,  and  I — knowing  no  one,  and  ignorant  of  and  won- 
dering at  everything  I  saw — was  allowed  to  wander  about  the 
streets  at  will;  being  at  this  time  about  fourteen  years  of  acre, 
and  remarkably  strong  and  tall  for  a  boy  of  so  few  summers. 

My  first  meeting  with  my  master  the  Tsar  was  in  this  wise. 
1  was  standing  close  to  the  bank  of  the  small  river,  the  Moskva, 
reflecting  how  mean  and  small,  in  comparison  with  our  own 
beautiful  Kama,  was  this  streamlet  which  runs  through  the  streets 
of  the  capital  city,  when  I  was  suddenly  startled  by  a  loud  yell 
from  behind  the  wall  of  an  adjacent  house,  and  at  the  same  instant 
received  a  very  violent  blow  on  the  back,  from  a  stick  or  stone 
which  precipitated  me  into  mid-stream. 

Being  a  good  swimmer  I  thought  nothing  of  the  incident  as  a 
disa^er;  as  an  in>ult,  however,  my  pride  revolted  immediately 
against  it,  and  as  I  swam  back  to  shore  I  looked  out  eagerly  for 
someone  upon  whom  to  vent  my  wrath  and  desire  for  vengeance. 
I  did  not  long  remain  in  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  my  assailants, 
for  at  that  moment  a  band  of  boys  of  all  ages,  from  twelve  to 
about  seventeen,  came  shouting  and  waving  sticks  from  behind 
the  wall,  headed  by  one  of  about  my  own  age,  or  perhaps  a  trifle 
older:  a  striking-looking  lad,  slim  and  elegant  in  figure,  and 
with  the  eyes  and  nose  of  a  bird  of  prey.  He  wore  the  Russian 
shirt  and  trowsers,  without  kaftan;  hut  his  shirt  was  richly 
worked  in  blue  and  red,  and  the  belt  abont  his  waist  was  of  silver 
.no  filigreed,  and  his  cap  was  adorned  with  valuable  jewels. 
This  lad  held  up  his  hand,  and  the  rest  were  silent  in  an  instant, 
all  but  on^  who  had  not  noticed  the  sign,  and  continued  to  shout 
and  boo  at  me  a    1  I  warn  about  looking  for  a  place  to  land. 

•  Be  silent.  Petka,  you  dog!'  shrieked  the  young  leader  of  tin's 
rowdy  band.  'Here,  Gregory.  Timothy,  in  with  him.  No  dis- 
obedience lure  !  ' 

'(>h,  don't  throw  mo  in.'  howled  Petka,  blubbering;  'I  can't 
swim  a  ,-troke   -1  shall  be  drowned  !  ' 

'  Hid  you  swear  obedience  witl  1   the  bejewelled 

lad. 


1 88  A  BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

1  Yes,'  blubbered  the  other,  '  but ' 

'  In  with  him,  then,'  shouted  the  leader,  stamping ;  and  in- 
stantly two  or  three  of  the  others  caught  poor  Petka  by  shoulders 
and  heels,  and  swung  him  far  out  into  the  stream. 

I  postponed  my  landing  to  see  what  would  come  of  his  state- 
ment that  he  could  not  swim,  and  it  was  fortunate  for  Petka  that 
I  did  so ;  for  after  splashing  and  floundering  for  a  minute  or  two, 
struggling  and  blubbering,  while  of  those  on  shore  some  laughed 
and  some  looked  grave,  down  he  went. 

Down  went  I  also,  after  him,  and  fished  him  up,  and  together 
we  struggled  to  the  shore.  Here  the  young  captain  interfered 
again. 

'  That's  enough  for  Petka,'  he  cried.  '  He  won't  disobey  his 
general  again — let  him  up ;  but  take  that  new  fellow  and  pitch 
him  back  for  interfering  where  he  was  not  asked ! ' 

Two  of  the  boys,  those  whom  he  had  addressed  as  Timofey, 
or  Timothy,  and  Gregory,  came  down  to  the  bank  at  this,  and 
each  laid  hold  of  a  shoulder  of  mine  to  pull  me  out.  But  I  caught 
each  by  a  leg,  and,  having  a  good  foothold,  easily  pulled  them  down 
into  the  water,  where  I  put  both  their  heads  under,  and  then  left 
them  to  scramble  out  as  best  they  could,  while  I  set  them  an 
example  by  getting  ashore  as  quickly  as  I  might  before  others 
should  be  told  off  to  prevent  me. 

The  boy  whom  I  have  described  as  the  leader  of  this  precious 
crew,  as  well  as  many  of  his  companions,  was  at  this  time  in  fits 
of  laughter  over  Timothy  and  Gregory's  discomfiture ;  but  I  put 
a  sudden  end  to  his  mirth  by  bounding  straight  up  to  him  as  he 
stood  and  pointed  and  laughed,  and  seizing  him  in  my  arms — 
'  Now,'  I  said,  '  my  friend,  it  is  your  turn  to  swim  and  ours  to 
laugh ! ' 

The  boy  stamped  his  foot  at  me  and  would  have  spoken,  but 
his  surprise  or  his  passion  was  too  great.  Foam  came  from  between 
his  lips,  but  no  articulate  words.  I  cared  nothing  for  the  stamp- 
ing of  his  foot,  nor  yet  for  the  foaming  of  his  mouth.  The  rest 
shouted  at  me,  but  I  did  not  listen.  I  took  the  boy  up  by  the 
breast  of  his  shirt  in  one  hand,  holding  his  kicking  legs  together 
aL  the  knees  with  the  other,  and  swung  him  once,  twice,  thrice — 
he  found  his  voice  at  the  second  swing — '  Let  me  go,' he  shrieked, 
'  I  am  Ivan ! ' 

'  I  don't  care  who  you  are,'  I  said,  '  you  impudent  young  bull  v. 
You'll  be  a  wet  Ivan  directly ! ' 

'  But  I  can't  swim,'  he  blubbered,  as  he  flew  through  the  air, 


A    BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  189 

and  the  next  instant  he  plunged  with  a  grand  splash  into  the 
Moskva,  half-way  across,  and  struggled  and  floundered  for  all  the 
world  as  Petka  had. 

Of  course  I  was  not  going  to  allow  him  to  drown  ;  but  he  was 
quite  half-drowned  by  the  time  I  went  to  his  assistance;  and 
when  I  placed  him  on  the  bank,  he  lay  there  panting  and  spitting 
water  from  his  mouth  for  some  minutes  before  he  could  find 
breath  to  speak.  When  he  was  able  to  raise  his  head  and  look 
around,  he  glared  at  me  with  a  very  wicked  look ;  his  eyes — as 
sharp  as  a  hawk's — seemed  to  glow  like  two  little  live  coals.  He 
foamed  and  fumed  and  gnashed  his  teeth  at  me,  and  again  at  his 
companions,  before  he  spoke ;  they  all  appeared  frightened  or 
abashed,  and  said  nothing.  As  for  me,  I  could  not  forbear  to 
laugh,  for  in  truth  it  appeared  to  me  a  foolish  and  ridiculous 
thing  that  this  boy.  far  smaller  than  many  of  his  comrades,  should 
have  so  successfully  dominated  the  rest  that  they  were  appalled 
because  of  his  absurd  anger.     At  last  he  spoke. 

'  I  told  you  I  was  Ivan,'  he  said. 

•  And  I  told  you  you  would  be  a  wet  Ivan  before  long,'  I 
rejoined  ;  '  if  you  feel  a  desire  to  have  a  little  more  of  the  Moskva 
inside  you,  you  will  continue  to  make  faces  at  me,  for  that  is  the 
straight  way  into  the  river.' 

At  this  the  boy  commenced  to  writhe  and  shriek  with  passion. 
'  Gregory.  Timothy,  Stepan,  kill  him ;  tell  him  who  I  am  and  kill 
him  instantly,  do  you  hear  me?  '  he  blustered,  jumping  to  his  feet 
and  stamping  about  in  rage.  'Tie  stones  to  his  feet  and  pitch 
him  into  the  water — knock  him  on  the  head  with  your  sticks.' 
Then  I  thought  I  had  to  deal  with  a  godsman,  as  we  call  the 
unfortunate  demented,  and  pitied  him. 

'  Is  he  a  godsman  ?  '  I  asked  of  the  crowd  of  lads  around. 

'  He  is  the  Grand  Duke  of  Russia,  you  fool,'  said  one  of  them  ; 
'  and  you  will  pay  for  what  you  have  done  to-day.' 

'  This  the  Grand  Duke  of  Russia?'  I  said,  laughing;  'are 
you  all  mad  ?  He  is  a  boyar  by  his  dress,  certainly,  but  not  by 
his  manners  ;  as  for  all  of  you,  you ' 

'  I  am  Ivan,  I  say,'  cried  the  leader,  recommencing  his  shrieks 
and  stamping;  'Timothy,  seize  him  you,  or  Vainka  if  lit-  and 
Gregory  are  afraid — seize  him  and  tie  weights  to  him  and 
drown  him — and  may  the  devil  have  him — 1  hate  him — kill 
him  !  ' 

But  no  one  moved,  though  several  glowered  at  me;  they  did 
not  like  the  look  of  me  and  my  stick — one  I  had  taken  up  from 


1 9o  A   BOYAR    OR    THE    TERRIBLE. 

the  ground,  where  somebody,  Ivan  himself,  I  think,  had  laid  it. 
The  stick  was  furnished  with  an  iron  spike  at  the  end,  and  was  a 
formidable  weapon. 

'  By  St.  Cyril  and  St.  Methodius  you  shall  all  suffer  for  this — 
every  one  of  you  ! '  cried  Ivan,  looking  around  with  an  expression 
that  a  demon  might  have  envied.  '  Will  not  one  of  you 
obey  ? ' 

'  Let  him  put  down  the  stick,  and  I  will  try  him,'  said  a  big 
boy — Vainka  by  name.  I  threw  down  the  weapon,  and  we  wrestled. 
When  we  were  close  to  the  bank  of  the  river  I  tripped  Vainka,  and 
he  splashed  head  first  into  the  water. 

To  my  surprise  I  found  that  Ivan  had  recovered  from  his  fit 
of  passion,  and  was  laughing  at  Vainka's  discomfiture.  I  looked 
at  him  fixedly.  Could  this  really  be  young  Ivan  Vasilitch,  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Muscovy — my  sovereign — or  was  the  whole  thing 
a  play,  acted  by  a  rowdy  party  of  boys  for  their  own  diversion  ? 
His  countenance,  now  that  the  passion  had  disappeared  from  it, 
was  refined  and  noble ;  his  eyes  were  hawk-like  still,  but  the  evil 
glow  had  departed  from  them  ;  his  body  had  a  natural  aristocratic 
pose ;  I  gazed  at  him  and  felt  unaccountably  attracted.  Grand 
Duke,  or  mere  boyar,  this  lad  was  a  remarkable  personality.  I  had 
reached  this  point  in  my  reflections  when  he  turned  his  head  and 
caught  me  looking  at  him.  He  stamped  his  foot  and  frowned  ; 
but  whether  it  was  that  he  discerned  more  respect  and  admiration 
in  my  expression,  or  whether  my  victory  over  Vainka  had  pleased 
him,  his  eyes  did  not  glow  with  passion  as  before.  We  stared  in 
one  another's  faces  for  a  moment.  During  that  moment  I  came 
to  the  conclusion — I  scarcely  knew  why,  though  I  now  understand 
that  the  majesty  in  that  face  was  quite  unmistakable  when  not 
concealed  by  the  contortions  of  passion — that  this  must  certainly 
be  the  youthful  Head  of  the  realm  :  the  young  Grand  Duke  Ivan, 
and  that  I  had  gone  wit  bin  sight  of  drowning  the  Lord's  Anointed. 
At  this  thought  (for  we  Stroganofs,  though  independent,  are  the 
most  loyal  of  the  subjects  of  the  Tsar)  I  was  conscious  of  a  great 
horror,  and  hid  my  face  in  my  hands  and  dropped  on  my  knees. 
'  What  have  I  done — what  have  I  done  ? '  I  murmured.  '  If  you 
are  indeed  Ivan  Vasilitch,  the  Grand  Duke,  what  have  I  done  in 
throwing  you  into  the  river  ?  ' 

'You  have  certainly  committed  a  great  sin,'  said  Ivan,  'but 
since  you  pulled  me  out  again  you  have  partially  atoned  for  it ; 
you  shall  fully  atone  by  instantly  joining  my  band  and  obeying 
my  orders.     Is  it  agreed  ?  ' 


./    BOYAR   OF   THE    TERRIBLE.  ,„. 

■  So  Long  as  your  way  is  God's  way.  I  agree,1  I  said. 

The  boy  looked  grave  for  a  moment,  then  he  smiled.  'That 
is  a  good  answer,'  he  said;  'you  please  me.  Now  take.  Timothy 
and  Gregory  and  throw  them  into  the  water,  and  afterwards 
every  one  of  the  others  except  ing  Vainka  Koltso,  who  alone  obeyed 
orders,  though  it  were  to  his  own  disadvantage.  Now,  sir — take 
Gregory  first — resist,  Gregory — don't  be  a  sheep.' 

My  orders  astonished  me  mightily. 

'But  what  about  those  who  cannot  swim?'  I  said,  hesi- 
tating. 

'Oh,  Lord  have  mercy  npon  as,  save  them  if  you  think  them 
worth  it  ! '  said  Ivan  ;  '  1  don't ! ' 

Then  there  arose  such  a  wailing  and  blubbering  as  I  never 
thought  to  hear  on  this  earth  ;  yet  not  one  of  those  boys  dared 
run  away  and  thus  avoid  the  punishment  in  store  for  him.  There 
were  thirteen  in  all,  counting  the  prince  and  Vainka  Koltso,  and 
eleven  of  these  had  to  be  ducked.  Some  of  them  resisted  violently, 
and  four  times  I  was  myself  tripped  and  ducked  by  my  assailants. 
Bnt  in  the  end  each  of  the  eleven  had  his  ducking,  and  (lie 
sentence  was  duly  executed  ;  but  since  I  had  been  obliged  to 
wrestle  many  times,  and  had  been  worsted  at  least  four  times 
(though  in  the  end  I  overthrew  each  of  my  conquerors),  and  was 
besides  obliged  to  plunge  in  to  save  half  a  dozen  of  my  victims,  I 
was  fairly  exhausted  when  the  business  was  done  and  my  duty 
performed,  and  had  scarcely  strength  to  crawl  out  after  my  last 
immersion,  or  breath  to  thank  my  new  friend  and  master  when  he 
called  encouragingly  to  me  as  I  scrambled  ashore,  and  said  I  had 
done  well,  and  he  should  like  me. 

•  Now  you  can  all  go  to  your  homes,  poor  creatures  that  you 
are  ! '  he  added,  frowning  around  at  the  rest  ;  '  why  are  you  not  al! 
like  him?  1  should  make  something  of  my  Russia  by-and-by, 
if  you  were!  The  company  is  dissolved  till  to-morrow — march! 
Stay  here  with  me,  you  ! '  he  added,  laying  his  hand  upon  my  arm. 

The  dripping  hand  iA'  hoy  dispersed  with  shouts  and  rejoicings. 
Leaving  me  alone  with  my  new  friend.  A  moment  after  there  wai 
not  one  in  sight,  and  only  the  distani  sound  of  their  happine  s 
could  be  heard.  It  was  like  the  breaking  up  of  a  school.  This 
lad  was  evidently  a  hard  taskmaster,  and  his  playmates  took  more 
pleasure  in  the  di>porsion  of  the  band  than  in  the  assembling  of 
the  same. 


vol   xxvm.  NO.  U.XIV 


i92  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

CHAPTEE   II. 

CAMPAIGNING. 

'  I  believe  I  shall  like  you  ;  I  think  we  may  be  friends,'  said  my 
companion  when  the  rest  had  gone  ;  '  you  are  strong  and  bold, 
and  may  be  of  great  use  to  me  in  my  campaigning.  But  who 
are  you  ;  what  is  your  name  ?  ' 

I  wondered  at  the  prince's  manner  of  expressing  himself. 
What  did  he  mean  by  campaigning  !  However,  I  told  him  my 
name. 

'  Oh  ! '  he  said,  '  then  you  have  come  up  from  Perm  with  the 
man  who  has  been  bargaining  with  Shuisky  these  days  ?  "  I 
concurred.  '  Then  you  may  tell  your  relative,'  he  continued,  '  to 
be  careful  in  his  dealings  with  that  thief  and  liar,  for  he  will 
swindle  him  and  deceive  him  as  he  has  swindled  every  other  boyar 
in  the  Empire  who  has  dealings  with  him.  I  heard  him  telling 
someone.  Belsky  or  one  of  the  Grlinskys  I  think,  that  he  found 
these  Stroganofs  were  as  rich  as  Croesus,  and  he  was  going  to  milk 
them  like  so  many  cows.' 

I  was  greatly  surprised  to  hear  this,  for  the  regent  had  been 
all  that  was  courteous  and  kind  towards  my  uncle.  But  I  after- 
wards learned  that  this  Shuisky  was  of  all  men  the  most  crafty 
and  deceitful. 

But  I  only  said  that  I  would  warn  my  relative  as  the  prince 
suggested  ;  and  then  I  asked  my  companion  why  he  had  had  me 
attacked  and  pitched  into  the  water.  What  had  I  done  to 
deserve  this  treatment  at  his  hands  ? 

'  Done ! '  he  said,  astonished.  '  Why,  nothing,  of  course. 
What  an  odd  question  !  I  had  never  seen  you  before,  so  that 
you  could  have  done  nothing  to  offend  me ! ' 

'  Then  why  attack  an  innocent  lad  ?  '  I  repeated.  '  How  could 
you  tell  that  I  should  not  have  been  drowned  ?  I  might  not  have 
been  able  to  swim  ! ' 

'  Oh  well,'  said  Ivan,  laughing,  '  you  would  not  have  been  the 
•first.  The  other  day  we  did  drown  a  boy  ;  he  was  not  of  the 
boyar  class,  like  yourself,  and  nothing  was  said  ;  he  went  down 
without  a  struggle,  and  never  came  up  again.  If  his  folks  had 
come  down  to  the  river  and  made  any  fuss  about  it  we  should  have 
beaten  them.  They  are  all  very  harmless,  as  soon  as  they  are  told 
who  I  am.' 


A   r>0  Y.IK    OF   THE    TERRIBLE.  193 

I  gazed  at  the  Grand  Duke  in  horror.  'And  why  do  you  do 
this  kind  of  thing  ?  "   I  asked  him. 

'What  else  is  there  to  do?'  he  said,  quite  surprised.  'The 
Grand  Duke  may  surely  amuse  himself  as  he  pleases,  without 
consulting  his  subjects.  However,  we  do  not  often  take  life — 
human  life,  I  mean;  we  drown  all  the  stray  dogs  and  other 
animals  w<'  can  catch  —drown  them,  or  get  our  fun  out  of  them 
some  other  way.  My  campaigners  and  I  have  better  fan  with 
our  captives  than  drowning  them,  as  a  rule.  You  shall  come  and 
see  for  yourself  now  that  you  are  enrolled.' 

*  But  I  am  only  conditionally  enrolled.'  I  said.  '  I  under- 
took to  be  of  your  party  so  long  only  as  your  ways  are  God's 
ways.' 

'But  the  Grand  Duke  is  God  in  Russia,'  -aid  Ivan.  'Shuisky 
says  so  ;  nothing  that  I  do  can  possibly  be  wrong,  he  3ays.s 

•  And  what  is  his  opinion  of  your  drowning  your  subjects, 
and  doing  I  know  not  what  besides  with  them  ?  '  I  asked,  feeling 
that  I  was  in  a  sort  of  dream. 

'  Oh,  we  only  frighten  them  and  beat  them,  if  they  resist,  and 
take  their  money,"  said  the  prince;  '  I  always  tell  Shuisky  of  our 
adventures,  because  it  puts  him  in  good  humour:  he  laughs  and 
says  that  I  am  the  kind  of  king  that  Russia  wants,  one  who  is 
not  afraid  of  his  people  or  of  anything  else.  Ask  him,  if  vou 
like,  what  he  thinks  of  me.  Sometimes  I  fancy  he  is  anxious 
that  I  should  come  to  harm  during  our  marauding  expeditions 
for  though  he  professes  to  be  my  most  faithful  regent  and  friend, 
yet  if  I  were  to  die  I  know  not  who  would  step  into  my  place 
if  it  were  not  Shuisky.  Therefore  tell  him,  as  an  entertaining 
anecdote,  of  how  you  threw  me  into  the  stream  and  were  obliged 
to  fish  me  out  again  ;  you  will  >ee  by  his  face  whether  the 
story  really  alarms  him  on  my  account,  or  whether  he  is  only 
sorry  that  your  pitching  me  in  was  followed  by  your  fishing  me 
out.' 

I  mentally  resolved  that  I  would  do  exactly  as  this  cunning 
youth  suggested. 

'But  why.'  I  said,  'must  you  rob  and  beat  your  people  ?  I- 
there  no  better  way  of  amusing  yourself  than  thi  ?  ' 

'As  for  their  money,'  he  replied,  'I  need  it.  I  depend 
upon  it  for  everything  I  buy.  Shuisky  gives  me  none.  I 
should  not  even  have  food  enough,  but  for  what  I  purchase  for 
myself.' 

All  this  was  perfectly  true,  as  I  discovered  afterwards.     The 

o  2 


i94  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

miscreant  Shuisky  not  only  made  light  of  the  prince's  misconduct, 
but  actually  deprived  him  of  the  necessaries  of  life  in  order  to 
compel  him  to  act  the  common  highwayman  and  street  robber,  in 
company  with  his  rascally  young  confederates,  those  whom  I  had 
had  the  pleasure  of  ducking  ;  praising  and  treating  as — -at  the 
worst — amiable  youthful  eccentricity,  conduct  which  an  honest 
guardian  would  instantly  have  execrated  and  forbidden.  But 
instead  of  allowing  my  poor  young  master  to  see  such  conduct  as 
his  own  in  its  proper  light  :  as  disgraceful  and  unworthy  in  the 
meanest  of  his  subjects,  and  contemptible  and  abominable  in  the 
highest  degree  when  indulged  in  by  one  occupying  his  position, 
this  villainous  regent  or  minister  for  his  own  ends  obscured  the 
truth,  and  allowed  the  prince  to  go  from  wickedness  to  wicked- 
ness, until  at  length,  as  I  hinted  before,  he  actually  was  unable  to 
distinguish  right  from  wrong,  and  was  convinced  that  in  the 
successful  execution  of  his  miserable  robberies  and  street  bullyings 
he  was  evincing  the  highest  and  princeliest  qualities,  and  showing. 
for  all  men  to  see,  how  wise  and  brave  a  ruler  he  should  be  when 
old  enough  to  take  upon  himself  the  reins  of  government. 

Out  of  curiosity,  and  without  binding  myself  to  take  part  in 
any  enterprise  of  which  I  disapproved,  I  joined  the  band  of  the 
Grand  Duke's  confederates  on  the  following  day,  and  saw  with 
my  own  eyes  what  manner  of  entertainment  was  this  which  the 
young  prince,  my  master,  had  invented  and  organised  for  his  own 
recreation,  and  which  Shuisky,  his  responsible  guardian,  approved 
as  a  fitting  occupation  for  the  titular  head  of  this  great  Empire  of 
Muscovy. 

We  stationed  ourselves.  I  remember,  behind  a  paling  at  the 
outskirts  of  the  city,  not  far  from  the  spot  at  which  I  had  myself 
been  surprised  and  attacked  on  the  previous  day  ;  and  there  we 
lay  in  ambush  awaiting  whatever  prey  fortune  should  send  into 
our  net. 

Presently  a  peasant  came  driving  along  the  dusty  road  in  his 
cart.  With  him  were  two  women  wearing  red  handkerchiefs  over 
their  heads  and  singing  merrily,  as  our  Eussian  peasant  women 
do.  As  they  passed  us,  the  horse  was  startled  and  seized,  and  the 
serf  pulled  out  of  the  cart.  The  women  stopped  their  singing  to 
cry  aloud  in  their  terror  ;  the  man  blubbered  for  mercy.  His 
pockets  were  searched  and  those  of  the  women  also ;  the  cart 
was  full  of  butter-tubs,  and  the  three  vowed  and  protested  that 
they  were  without  money.  A  few  coppers  were  found,  and  these 
^ere  taken,  after  which  the  peasant  was  well  beaten  and  released. 


.;    BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  195 

I  had  thought  the  women  would  be  spared,  but  this  was  not  the 
case,  and  they  were  beaten  also. 

I  protested  against  this  useless  cruelty,  but  Ivan  laughed  and 
said  his  '  men  '  must  be  amused.  He  added  that  if  I  objected  to 
the  action  of  those  who  had  beaten  the  women  I  might  settle 
with  them  for  myself,  and  this  I  was  glad  to  do,  for  it  relieved 
my  feelings;  and  with  the  same  birch  sticks  that  had  belaboured 
the  peasant  women  I  soon  gave  the  two  offenders  as  much  as 
I  thought  the  occasion  demanded,  they  making  little  or  no 
resistance  but  much  noise,  and  the  young  Grand  Duke  applauding 
and  laughing,  mightily  pleased  and  amused. 

After  this  there  were  richer  persons  robbed,  and  one  way  and 
another  a  considerable  sum  of  money  was  acquired  by  these  foul 
means.  As  a  rule,  if  any  victim  showed  much  resistance  he  was 
safe  ;  for  the  band,  being  mere  youths  and  boys,  possessed  little 
real  fighting  capacity,  and  relied  more  upon  terrifying  their 
victims  than  upon  reducing  them  by  force.  I  was  glad  whenever 
one  escaped  us  by  standing  up  to  his  assailants,  and  on  one 
occasion — greatly  to  his  surprise  and  to  the  disgust  of  our  own 
party — I  took  the  side  of  a  gallantly  resisting  young  boyar,  who 
was  set  upon  unawares  by  the  entire  force,  but  placed  his  back  to 
the  wall  and  defied  them. 

'  I  know  you  and  your  ways,  you  cowards,'  he  said  ;  '  that  boy 
there  with  the  silver  belt  is  Ivan,  the  Grand  Duke;  he  must  be 
mad  to  allow  the  scum  of  the  city  to  attack  in  his  name  the 
respectable  citizens,  and  even  his  own  boyars  like  myself;  come 
on,  I  defy  you,  prince  and  all ! ' 

I  saw  the  prince  at  this  suddenly  change.  His  countenance 
grew  livid  and  devilish,  jusl  as  it  had  been  yesterday,  and  his 
eyes  reddened  with  glowing  tire.  He  let  fly  his  iron-tipped  stick 
at  the  defiant  boyar's  head,  but  the  young  man  deftly  avoided  it, 
and  bowed  gravely  to  the  prince. 

'Done  like  a  Tsar/  he  said, 'a  truly  princely  action.  Now 
then,  you  others,  scum  of  Moscow,  attack  !  ' 

•  Not  I,  for  one  !  '  I  said,  laughing  ;  '  I  do  not  belong  -  I  am 
on  your  side  in  this  matter,  Adashef ! ' 

'  You  know  me  ? '  he  said,  astoni.-hed.  'What,  Sasha  Stro- 
ganof — in  this  company — oh,  Sasha  !  '  he  added,  seeing  and 
recognising  me. 

•  It  is  an  accident,1  I  .-aid.  taking  my  stand  at  his  side  ;  '  this 
will  prove  it,  and  I  flourished  my  stick  and  joined  him  in  putting 
to  flight  the  whole  of  Ivan's    craven  band  of  boy-robbers,  which 


196  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

we  effected  in  about  half  a  minute.  Adashef  was  a  grown  man 
of  about  nineteen,  and  though  not  much  taller  or  stronger  than 
I,  was  active  and  a  pretty  fighter. 

The  Grand  Duke  watched  his  men  retreat  pell-mell  in  every 
direction. 

'  I  sicken  of  them,"  he  said  aloud,  '  more  every  day.' 

'  Have  no  more  to  do  with  them,  Ivan  Vasilitch,  for  (rod's 
sake,'  said  Adashef ;  '  take  the  counsel  of  those  who  wish  you 
well ! ' 

'  Amen  ! '  I  said,  heartily. 

Ivan's  passion  had  faded  as  quickly  as  it  had  come.  He 
betrayed  no  shame  for  his  late  conduct,  neither  was  he  now  angry 
with  Adashef.     He  knew  not  right  from  wrong. 

'  Upon  my  word,  I  have  a  mind  to  dismiss  them,  every  one, 
and  take  yourself  and  Stroganof  as  my  men  in  their  place  ! '  con- 
tinued the  boy  reflectively. 

'  Xot  to  do  your  dirty  work  in  the  slums  of  this  town  ! '  said 
Adashef,  and  I  concurred,  though  speaking  more  deferentially 
than  he. 

'  Oh  well,'  said  Ivan,  'if  you  can  suggest  any  other  way  of 
passing  the  time  I  shall  not  object ;  lam  dull  enough ;  I  am  sick 
of  street  fights,  and  even  pitching  cats  and  dogs  from  the  top  of 
the  Kremlin  tower  does  not  delight  me  as  it  used ! ' 

On  the  way  home  Adashef  spoke  very  much  and  very  wisely 
as  to  the  foolishness  and  wickedness  of  Ivan's  behaviour :  and  the 
Grand  Duke — being  now  in  his  best  mood — took  all  that  was  said 
in  good  part  :  and  this  was  the  first  move  in  the  direction  of 
better  things. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    YOUNG    EAGLE    RUFFLES    HIS    FEATHERS. 

My  stay  in  the  capital  city  was  somewhat  protracted,  but  we  were 
back  again  at  Perm,  my  uncle  Simeon  Stroganof,  and  I,  long 
before  the  terrible  results  of  Adashef 's  and  my  own  remonstrances 
with  the  young  Grand  Duke  set  all  Russia  trembling  and  yet 
admiring,  and  fearing  and  yet  hoping  for  the  future.  My  uncle 
had  obtained  the  concessions  he  required  from  Shuisky  the 
regent  ;  that  is,  Shuisky    had  made  him  certain  promises,  but 


A   0OYAR   01    THE    TERRIBLE  iy7 

whether  those  promises  would  have  been  kept,  but  for  the  event 
which  I  am  now  about  to  describe,  is  very  doubtful  indeed. 

Let  me  first  mention  one  little  matter.  I  had  informed  this 
Shuisky,  in  the  assumed  humility  of  one  who  confesses  a  great 
fault,  that  I  had,  at  my  first  acquaintance  with  the  prince,  and 
before  I  fully  knew  who  he  was,  caught  up  Ivan  and  pitched  him 
into  the  stream. 

As  I  told  the  tale  Shuisky  flushed  red  and  started  up  ;  ha 
glanced  at  Belsky,  who  was  present. 

•  What  !  '  he  cried.  '  You  pitched  the  prince  into  the  river 
and  pulled  him  out  again  !  fool,  idiot  !  why  could  you  not 
have ' 

'Andrey  Ivanitch  ! '  said  Belsky,  warningly.  It  was  all  I 
could  do  to  avoid  laughing,  the  comedy  was  so  plain.  Shuisky 
glanced  again  at  his  companion,  and  sat  down  suddenly. 

'  Is  the  boy  not  a  fool  and  an  idiot  ?  '  he  continued  angrily  ; 
'  to  lay  violent  hands  upon  the  Anointed  of  the  Lord  ?  Why 
could  you  not  have  left  him  in  peace,  I  say  ?  for  this  you  shall 
suffer  the  severest  punishment.' 

But  my  young  master  would  not  hear  of  my  suffering  any 
kind  of  punishment  for  the  ducking  I  gave  him,  though  Shuisky 
exhibited  great  zeal  in  the  matter,  with  the  object  of  effacing 
from  my  mind  any  possible  misconceptions  founded  upon  his 
unguarded  exclamations  upon  first  hearing  of  the  incident. 

Nevertheless.  I  did  not  fail  to  inform  the  prince  as  to  this,  and 
the  tale  did  not  in  any  degree  surprise  him. 

'  I  have  long  been  assured,'  he  said,  '  that  Shuisky  is  my 
enemy,  and  desires  my  destruction  rather  than  my  welfare.' 

1  And  yet  you  take  delight  in  his  applause  and  approbation, 
said  Adashef,  who  was  present,  'and  do  not  understand  that  he 
encourages  your  misbehaviour  and  your  excesses  with  these  foot- 
pads, your  confederates,  in  order  that  you  may  render  yourself 
unpopular  with  your  people  and  nobles,  and  that  they  may  one 
day,  in  the  overflowing  of  their  wrath,  turn  again  and  rend  vou. 
He  warned  once  again,  Ivan  Yasilitch,  and  turn  from  your  evil 
ways.     There  is  danger  in  the  air  !  ' 

*  I  think,'  said  Ivan,  '  that  I  am  Grand  Duke,  and  not 
Shuisky.' 

'That  is  true,'  said  Adashef;  'you  are  (Jrand  Duke  of 
Muscovy  and  over  all  your  subjects,  Shuisky  included.' 

;  So  that  if  I  insisted,  my  subjects  would  be  bound  to  obey 
me  rather  than  Shuisky,  if  we  were  to  disagree  ? '  said  the  prince. 


1 98  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

1  The  Kussian  people  would  support  the  word  of  the  prince 
against  that  of  a  usurping  boyar ;  they  have  ever  done  so,'  said 
Adashef ;  '  you  are  of  the  House  of  Rurik.  Holy  Mother  of  the 
Most  Blessed,'  he  added,  crossing  himself  most  reverently,  'to 
think  of  a  prince  of  the  House  of  Rurik  demeaning  himself  by 
associating  with  a  pack  of  juvenile  robbers  and  highwaymen, 
lying  in  wait  and  robbing  defenceless  women  and  unsuspecting 
peasants  and  merchants  ! ' 

I  quite  expected  the  prince's  iron-tipped  staff  to  fly  at  these 
bold  words  of  Adashef 's,  but  the  Grand  Duke  only  frowned  and 
was  silent,  and  said  not  another  word  till  we  reached  home. 
Within  the  court  of  the  palace  were  assembled  a  number  of 
Ivan's  chosen  confederates,  the  Gregorys  and  Timofeys,  of  whom 
mention  has  been  made,  awaiting  their  leader's  orders  for  the 
afternoon.  When  Ivan  saw  this  company  he  flew  into  the 
greatest  passion.  He  chased  them  from  the  courtyard  with 
scarcely  articulate  cries,  prodding  at  them  with  his  ugly  weapon, 
and  wounding  slightly  at  least  one.  At  the  gate  he  found  his 
tongue. 

'  Go  ! '  he  shrieked,  '  every  one  of  you,  and  return  no  more  ! 
I  have  finished  with  you,  you  are  they  who  come  between  me 
and  my  people,  I  will  have  no  robbery  and  violence  in  my 
streets,  you  are  disbanded,  I  loathe  you  and  forget  you  hence- 
forth, every  one  ;  depart ! ' 

And  that  was  the  end  of  the  Duke's  wretched  band  of  foot- 
pads, and  of  his  own  disgraceful  conduct  in  the  streets  of  the 
capital  city. 

Before  my  dear  master  died  he  reminded  me  of  that  scene 
and  said,  in  his  infinite  kindness  towards  me,  that  it  was  through 
my  words  and  conduct  that  he  had  been  led  to  see  the  error  of 
his  ways,  and  had  made  this  first  great  step  in  the  direction  of 
an  improved  life ;  but  though  I  may  have  contributed  by  my 
behaviour  at  our  first  meeting  towards  his  conversion,  yet  I  am 
convinced  that  it  was  to  Adashef  and  to  his  impassioned  words 
about  the  House  of  Rurik  that  my  master  really  owed  the  true 
awakening  of  his  soul ! 

The  Grand  Duke  owed  much  more,  in  after  years,  to  this 
great  man  ;  and  while  Adashef  and  the  monk  Sylvester  dominated 
him,  which  was  for  many  a  long  and  prosperous  year,  there  did 
not  exist  a  wiser  or  more  sober  and  benevolent  prince  in  all 
the  world  than  young  Tsar  Ivan,  the  first  Russian  Tsar  or  Caesar, 
a  title  which  he  himself  invented  and  adopted.     It  was  not  until 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  199 

his  never  to  be  sufficiently  deplored  quarrel  with  Adashef  and 
Sylvester,  that  my  poor  master  discovered  once  again  those 
terrible  traits  of  passion  and  inhumanity  which  the  miscreant 
Shuisky  had,  in  his  youth,  done  everything  to  foster  and 
develop  ;  and  which  the  Tsar,  in  after  years,  himself  so  bitterly 
regretted  ! 

But  all  this  belongs  to  a  later  period.  At  the  time  of  which 
I  now  write  both  Adashef  and  I  quitted  Moscow  to  return  to  our 
own  homes,  leaving  our  new  friend,  the  young  Grand  Duke, 
to  think  over  our  counsels,  and  to  act  as  he  found  best  upon 
them. 

Assuredly  neither  Adashef  nor  I  ever  for  one  moment  antici- 
pated so  terrible  an  event  (the  first  practical  result  of  our  talks 
with  the  prince)  as  that  which  I  come  now  to  describe.  I  was  at 
Perm,  of  course,  when  it  happened,  and  can  only  therefore  relate 
the  event  at  second-hand ;  but  my  authority  is  of  the  best, 
since  it  is  no  other  than  Vorontsoff  himself,  a  dear  friend  of  mine, 
who  was,  as  it  shall  soon  be  seen,  a  principal  actor  in  the  affair. 
Vorontsoff  was  a  young  boyar  of  about  twenty  years  of  age,  rich 
and  very  noble,  and  had  come  to  Moscow  at  the  invitation,  or 
rather  at  the  summons  of  Shuisky,  upon  some  plea  in  connection 
with  the  tributes  due  to  the  crown  from  the  large  landowners. 

Shuisky *s  policy  was  ever  to  impoverish  and  enfeeble  all 
boyars  and  persons  of  position  and  authority  in  the  empire,  in 
order  that  when  the  time  came  for  the  passing  of  the  imperial 
power  and  title  into  the  hands  of  a  subject,  there  should  be  none 
to  compete  with  himself  for  this  supreme  position  and  dignity. 
Beyond  all  doubt  Shuisky  both  expected  and  intended  the  throne 
to  become  vacant  before  its  present  occupant  should  have  grown 
old  enough  and  influential  enough  to  maintain  his  own  rights  and 
position. 

Therefore  Shuisky  milked  the  boyars,  to  use  his  own  expres- 
sion, like  so  many  cows,  and  the  quarrels  between  himself  ami  the 
rest  of  the  nobles  were  frequenl  and  scandalous.  There  was 
anarchy  throughout  the  realm  during  these  few  years  of  his 
regency,  that  is,  from  the  day  of  the  lamented  death  of  the  good 
mother  of  the  prince  and  until— well,  until  that  which  I  am  now 
about  to  describe. 

Vorontsoff  had  made  himself  exceedingly  agreeable  to  the 
Grand  Duke,  and  Ivan  had  become  very  fond  of  him  during  his 
short  acquaintance  with  him.  We  also,  Adashef  and  I,  had  seen 
Vorontsoff  and  liked  him,  and  at  our  departure  we  commended 


2oo  A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

the  prince  to  his  care,  informing  him  privately  of  our  distrust  of 
Shuisky,  as  well  as  of  our  hopes  for  the  awakening  of  our  young 
master  from  the  sleep  and  sloth  of  ignorance  and  unworthy, 
unprincely  vice. 

Some  few  weeks  after  our  departure,  Vorontsoff  fell  out  with 
the  minister.  So  far  as  I  remember  the  circumstance,  the  origin 
of  the  quarrel  was  Vorontsoff  s  refusal  to  pay  that  which  was 
demanded  of  him  '  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Grand  Duke.' 
The  contention  of  the  boyar  was  this,  that  nothing  was  spent 
upon  the  prince  and  his  needs  and  education ;  that  all  the  money 
exacted  under  this  head  was  expended  upon  Shuisky  himself  and 
his  luxuries  and  aggrandisement,  while  the  prince  was  left  to 
starve,  or  next  door  to  it,  both  physically  and  intellectually. 

'  All  the  world  knows,'  said  brave  Vorontsoff,  '  that  the  Grand 
Duke  is  neglected  and  treated  worse  and  with  less  sympathy 
than  the  child  of  the  meanest  peasant  in  the  land;  also  that  you 
have  designs,  Andrey  Ivanitch,  upon  the  throne  in  case  of  any 
emergency ! ' 

Shuisky  was  lolling  in  his  favourite  attitude  in  his  cabinet, 
upon  an  arm-chair,  and  with  his  feet  resting  on  the  bed  which  had 
been  that  of  the  late  Grand  Duke  Vasili,  Ivan's  father.  My 
master  has  often  described  to  me  this  attitude,  and  his  own  rage 
to  see  the  feet  of  this  miscreant  defile  the  couch  whereon  his 
great  father  had  rested. 

Ivan  himself  was  present,  seated  on  the  floor  and  listening. 

Up  jumped  Shuisky  at  the  words  of  Vorontsoff,  furious,  pale 
with  the  madness  of  anger ;  he  said  no  word,  but  clapped  his 
hands.     Two  attendants  rushed  in. 

'  Seize  him,  seize  him ! '  cried  Shuisky,  pointing  towards 
Vorontsoff,  '  away  with  him  to  the  fiog-room,  and  see  that  he  has 
twenty  blows  of  the  knoot ! ' 

But  my  dear  master,  like  a  young  lion,  rose  to  his  feet  and 
shook  his  mane,  and  roared  aloud. 

'  Stop ! '  he  cried,  '  not  a  finger  is  laid  upon  this  boyar.' 
Vorontsoff  has  often  told  me  how  splendid  the  prince  looked  at 
this  moment — how  much  a  prince  and  how  little  a  boy  ! 

The  attendants  gazed  about  to  right  and  left,  bewildered,  and 
uncertain  what  to  do.  Shuisky  glared  a  moment  at  the  Duke  as 
though  about  to  strike  him.  Then  he  turned  to  the  men  and 
stamped  his  foot. 

'  Do  you  hear  me  ?  '  he  shouted  ;  '  seize  him,  and  away  with  him 
this  instant — never  mind  that  boy  ! ' 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  201 

Then  the  young  lion,  as  lions  do,  abandoned  himself  to  the 
passion  of  his  rage.  Bis  eyes  glowed  like  coals,  and  he  stamped 
his  foot  with  ten  times  the  fury  and  fifty  times  the  majesty  of 
Shuisky;  the  men  had  been  about  to  obey  the  repeated  orders  of 
the  regent,  but  paused,  terrified  and  surprised  at  the  aspect  of  the 
prince. 

'  Stop,"  he  said,  with  marvellous  dignity  and  composure,  con- 
sidering his  passion  and  his  years.  '  Yorontsoff,  kill  those 
persons  if  they  dare  to  disobey  my  orders.  Listen,  fools  that  you 
are :  It  is  I  that  am  Grand  Duke  of  Moscow,  and  not  this 
Shuisky:  you  are  my  servants,  not  his;  lam  (irand  Duke  also 
over  Shuisky.  I  command  you  to  seize  Aim,  and  not  this  boyar  ; 
seize  him  and  convey  him  to  the  prison-room  downstairs.  This 
boyar  shall  slay  you  with  his  sword  if  you  disobey ! '  Yorontsoff 
drew  his  sword  ;  the  men  hesitated :  Shuisky  stood  trembling, 
surprised  and  bewildered,  and  uncertain  what  course  to  pursue. 
The  men  whispered  to  one  another,  and  one  took  hold  of 
Sliuisky's  arm;  the  other  hesitated,  but  on  Yorontsoff  making  a 
movement  he,  too,  grasped  the  regent  by  the  arm. 

v  Now  inarch  !  '  .-aid  Iv;tn,  pointing  to  the  door  ;  and,  followed 
by  Yorontsoff  and  by  the  prince  himself,  the  procession  departed 
down  the  stairs  and  into  the  prison-room  below,  Shuisky  still  too 
amazed  and  bewildered  to  resist. 

He  struggled,  indeed,  within  the  dungeon-like  chamber  itself; 
but  by  that  time  the  men  had  accustomed  themselves  to  consider 
the  prince  as  their  master  and  this  man  as  prisoner,  and  his 
struggles  were  vain. 

So  Shuisky  was  locked  up,  regent  though  he  was,  by  a  young 
Grand  Duke  of  scarcely  fourteen  summers  ;  and  had  it  ended 
there  it  would  have  been  well  for  Shuisky,  but  it  did  not. 

After  the  prisoner  had  been  secured  the  Grand  Duke  sent 
Yorontsoff  and  others  to  convene  a  meeting  of  all  the  boyars 
to  be  found  in  Moscow.  The  demon  of  rage  was  still  holding 
court  in  his  young  soul,  but  his  self-control  and  dignity  were, 
from  Yorontsoffs  account,  and  by  all  accounts,  simply  mar- 
vellou.-. 

So  also  at  the  assembly  of  amazed  and  wondering  boyars,  con- 
vened in  hot  haste  by  his  orders,  the  bearing  of  our  young  Russian 
Grand  Duke  was  the  very  example  of  all  dignity  and  majesty, 
and  his  address  to  the  assembled  nobles  and  magnates  was 
as  surprising  in  its  eloquence,  having  in  mind  the  age  of  the 
speaker,  as  it  was  in  its  purport. 


202  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

The  prince  harangued  his  principal  subjects  upon  the  folly  and 
wickedness  of  the  boyar  class  throughout  the  empire,  but  especi- 
ally in  Moscow.  Though  very  young,  he  said,  he  was  neverthe- 
less aware  of  the  mischief  that  stalked  abroad  among  them :  of 
how  each  thought  and  strove  for  himself  and  his  own  aggrandise- 
ment, instead  of  for  the  welfare  of  the  State  and  of  its  ill-treated 
and  neglected  head.  He  was  also  aware  of  the  many  and  great 
abuses  perpetrated  in  his  name  throughout  the  land ;  and  the 
time  had  come  when  he,  the  representative  of  Rurik,  could  no 
longer  withhold  his  tongue  nor  restrain  his  hand,  but  must  assert 
himself  and  the  dignity  of  the  throne  of  Muscovy.  Many  of 
those  present  were  undoubtedly  worthy  of  condign  punishment  ; 
but  in  his  royal  clemency  he  had  resolved  (said  this  sovereign  of 
fourteen  summers !)  to  forgive  all,  save  one,  and  that  by  far  the 
greatest  offender  of  them  all.  Shuisky  was  that  one.  Shuisky 
was  infinitely  the  most  villainous  of  all  his  boyars ;  and,  as  the 
worst,  he  should  be  the  one  to  suffer. 

The  punishment  of  the  victim  was  dreadful.  In  after  years 
my  master  spoke  of  it  with  sorrow,  as  of  one  of  his  lapses  into 
inhumanity ;  but  he  invariably  added  that  Shuisky,  nevertheless, 
deserved  any  fate  that  could  have  been  meted  out  to  him,  so  vile 
an  enemy  was  he  to  his  country.  In  a  word,  the  prince 
commanded  that  he  should  be  taken  forthwith  and  cast  into  an 
enclosure  in  which  were  kept  a  pack  of  peculiarly  vicious  and 
ferocious  wolf-hounds — wild  creatures  that  none  could  approach 
with  safety  excepting  their  keepers. 

By  these  dreadful  animals  Shuisky  was  instantly  torn  to 
pieces  ;  and  so  perished,  at  the  bidding  of  a  youth  of  fourteen,  one 
of  the  worst  men  that  Russia  has  ever  brought  forth.  May  God 
have  mercy  upon  his  sins,  which  were  many ! 

From  this  terrible  day  onward  my  young  master  was  the 
undisputed  head  of  this  great  realm.  Abuses  were  put  down  ; 
the  misrule  of  the  boyar  class  was  checked  and  gradually 
abolished ;  good  and  great  men  were  chosen  by  the  young  Duke 
for  his  advisers  and  ministers ;  and  though  he  lapsed  occasionally, 
during  the  first  two  years  of  his  real  reign,  into  those  paroxysms 
of  passion  which  betrayed  the  lower  depths  of  his  duplex 
individuality,  yet  he  was  far  more  often  at  his  best  than  at  his 
worst,  at  this  time,  and  the  affairs  of  the  empire  undoubtedly 
gained  by  his  assumption  into  his  boy-hands  of  the  direction  of 
the  helm  of  the  State. 

Truly  a  great  Russian  was  my  master,  who  could  effect  all  this 


./    BO  YAH   OF   THE    TERRIBLE.  203 

when  scarcely  in  his  teens,  and  in  spite  of  the  disadvantages  and 
disabilities  of  bis  boyhood  under  the  festering  wickedness  and 
neglect  of  Shuisky's  guardianship. 


CHAPTER    IV 


A    WOLF-FIGHT. 

.ill  ion  to  write  down  rather  a  record  of  nv  own 
doings  and  adventures  than  a  history  of  my  master,  Ivan  the 
Fourth  of  Russia,  I  must  now  leave  the  Grand  Duke  in  -Moscow, 
under  the  safe  guardianship  of  his  mother's  relatives,  the 
(ilinskys,  now  restored  (thanks  to  Shuisky's  fall)  to  power,  and 
introduce  my  own  family  and  neighbours,  especially  one  who  is 
destined  to  play  an  important  rdle  in  this  narrative,  in  connection 
both  with  myself  personally  and  also  with  the  relations  between 
myself  and  my  master,  which  alone,  after  all,  can  give  any 
importance  <<>  my  records. 

My  relative  Simeon  Stroganof  was  the  head  of  the  familv. 
He  was  the  brother  of  my  father,  who  was  dead.  Simeon  was  a 
great  landowner  and  merchant — a  boyar,  of  course,  and  rich. 
His  entire  being  was  devoted  to  the  making  of  a  great  estate  and 
the  gathering  together  of  riches.  My  brothers  Maxim  and 
Nikita  were  quite  of  their  unde*s  stamp — earnest  in  business, 
thinking  little  of  outdoor  sports  and  the  usual  occupations  and 
recreations  of  young  men  of  their  age  (they  were  seventeen  and 
eighteen  years  old  at  this  time),  and  devoting  themselves  to  the 
development  of  the  timber  and  salt  and  other  trades  which  they 
carried  (in  together  with  our  uncle  Simeon.  As  for  me,  nature 
had  formed  me  of  a  different  material,  for  I  never  took  the 
slightest  inlere-t  in  the  commercial  pursuits  which  delighted 
them,  but,  even  at  my  then  age  of  about  fifteen,  only  in  the  life 
of  the  open  air — in  hunting  and  swimming  and  adventure  <>f 
every  kind.  My  uncle  had  hoped  to  interest  me  in  the  family 
struggle  for  wealth  and  aggrandisement  by  taking  me  with  him 
to  Moscow,  as  described  above;  but.  beyond  imbuing  me  with  a 
strange  affection  for  my  young  ,-overeign  (strange,  because  he  had 
certainly  not  revealed  him>elf  at  his  best  during  our  short 
acquaintance,  for  all  that  lie  had  contrived  to  exercise  so  great  a 
fascination  over  me !),  my  trip  to  Moscow  had  resulted   in  little 


2o4  A  BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

changing  neither  rny  opinion  of  sit-at-home  merchants,  nor  my 
scorn  for  money-making.  My  opinion  of  my  brothers  was  a  poor 
one.  I  could  tolerate  my  uncle's  love  for  commerce  and  barter — 
firstly,  because  he  was,  though  still  a  comparatively  young  man, 
considerably  older  than  ourselves  ;  and,  secondly,  because  he  was 
head  of  the  family,  and  I  recognised  the  fact  that  some  one  of 
us  must,  after  all,  look  after  the  family  estate  and  affairs ;  but  I 
regarded  my  brothers  with  scorn,  because  they  would  take  no 
part  in  my  huntings  and  adventurous  ridings  into  the  Ural 
country,  and  in  other  enterprises  in  which  my  soul  took  great 
delight.  They  had  no  time,  they  said,  for  frivolities  and  boyish 
escapades,  for  the  Stroganofs  were  destined  to  play  a  great  part 
in  the  world  and  they  must  see  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  family 
destiny. 

I  may  pay  that  prophecies  in  this  sense  had  been  freely  put 
forth  and  circulated  for  a  generation  or  two  by  the  Znahars  and 
Znaharhas,  the  soothsayer?  male  and  female,  of  Perm,  and  were 
implicitly  believed  by  most  of  us.  One  of  these  prophecies  ran. 
I  remember,  to  this  effect  :  '  The  Stroganofs  take  the  East  in  their 
hand  and  place  it  in  the  Tsar's  hands,  and  the  Tsar  rejoices 
because  he  has  seen  the  West  depart  from  him.' 

I  used  to  laugh  at  this  oracular  utterance  because,  so  far  as  I 
could  make  out,  it  could  not  possibly  mean  anything  whatever, 
and  the  Znahar  who  pronounced  it  must  simply,  so  I  held,  be 
an  unfortunate — that  is,  a  godsman  or  lunatic.  But  now,  in  my 
old  age,  I  understand  that  there  is  more  in  these  things  than 
appears. 

Our  nearest  boyar  neighbours  were  the  Krilofs,  who  lived  in 
summer  fifteen  miles  or  so  away,  eastwards,  and  on  the  road  to 
Molebsk.  Of  this  family  we  Stroganofs  professed  to  know 
nothing,  because,  owing  to  a  very  ancient  family  feud  as  to  which 
I  need  not  enter  into  explanations,  we  were  not  upon  speaking 
terms.  The  Krilofs  never  came  to  Perm,  our  town ;  and  we 
never  went  to  Molebsk.  theirs.  I  believe  my  brothers  and  uncle 
actually  had  not  even  so  much  as  heard  their  names,  and 
certainly  did  not  know  them  by  sight.      It  was  different  with  me. 

At  this  time  I  was  already  interested  in  one  member,  at 
least,  of  the  Krilof  family — the  girl  Vera;  as  for  the  rest,  I  knew 
some  of  them  by  sight,  but  we  were  not  on  speaking  or  bowing 
terms.  I  must  put  upon  record  my  first  meeting  with  Vera — 
hey  me !  what  a  number  of  years  ago  !  Let  me  see  ;  I  was  not 
yet  iiftcen  then  and  I  am  sixty  now,  and  my  dear  master  has  been 


A    BO  YAH   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  205 

dead  five  year.-  — he   would  have  been  sixty  also — dear,  dear  !  to 
think  of  us  two  ;i>  old  men — us  two  hoys,  ha!  ha!     And  Vera, 

too,  she  is 

But  I  am  proving  myself  the  old  man  by  allowing  my  tongue 
to  run  away  with  me.  What  we  have  to  consider  now  is  my  firsi 
meeting  with  Vera  Krilof. 

I  was  hunting  hares  with  my  two  Siberian  hounds,  Borka  1  ad 
Bor/.a.  These  two  dogs  were  my  inseparable  companions ;  they 
were  long-limbed,  lithe,  long-nosed  dogs,  as  fast  and  active  as 
English  greyhounds,  and  not  unlike  them  in  length  of  limb  and 
head,  but  of  a  stouter  build  and  far  stronger  and  braver.  I  used 
them  both  for  running  down  wolves  and  for  hunting  hares,  and 
they  were  equally  useful  for  either  purpose. 

On  this  particular  afternoon  in  early  spring,  I  was  some  ten 
miles  from  home,  in  the  direction  of  Molebsk  and  the  Ural  .  and 
was  riding  in  search  of  hare  tracks  through  a  somewhat  wild 
pine  forest,  when  suddenly  Borza  pricked  up  his  ears  and  started 
forward  at  a  quicker  rate,  Borka  following  suit. 

'A  hare  !  *  I  thought,  and  spurred  up  old  Daniel,  my  pony — a 
wiry  Cossack,  that  would  gallop  fifty  miles  without  being  aware 
that  he  had  well  started. 

But  presently  I  heard  sounds  in  the  distance  ;  a  human  shout 
or  two.  as  it  seemed,  and  the  snarling  of  wild  animals. 

Scenting  an  adventure,  I  jogged  up  Daniel,  anil  we  flew  after 
the  two  dogs,  who  had  taken  a  good  lead  of  twenty  yards  and  were 
making  splendid  pace  through  the  pine-trees  in  the  direction  of 
the  sounds.  It  was  not  long  before  we  came  in  sight  of  the  scene 
whence  the  hubbub  proceeded,  and  a  curious  and  remarkable 
scene  it  was.  I  close  my  eyes  and  see  it  vividly  before  my  face 
now,  forty-tive  years  after — I  see  every  detail. 

First  there  was  the  carcase  of  a  horse,  or  what  was  left  of  it, 
being  torn  to  shreds  by  half  a  dozen  wolves.  Then,  his  back  to  a 
tree,  there  was  a  youth  of  about  sixteen  or  seventeen,  hunting- 
knife  in  hand,  >houting  and  stabbing  vigorously  enough  at  four 
other  wolves,  which  stood  in  a  half-circle  about  him.  approaching 
and  receding,  snarling,  foaming,  darting  in,  receiving  a  blow  or 
an  attempted  blow,  and  dodging  back,  besieging  their  antag 
pretty  closely.  Lastly,  and  most  important  of  all,  at  the  side  of 
this  ^touting,  fighting  youth  there  stood  another  figure,  a  young 
girl  of  about  my  own  age,  upright,  slim,  black-haired,  white- 
browed,  most  beautiful — as  even  then  I  found  time  to  observe,  the 
impression  being,  no  doubt,  an  unconscious  and   irresistible  one. 


2o6  A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

The  girl  was  fighting  also,  but  not  shouting.  Her  lips  were  set, 
and  she  wielded  a  riding-whip,  with  which  she  belaboured  the 
wolves  whenever  one  rushed  within  reach.  The  whip  was  clubbed, 
but  even  thus  was  harmless,  I  should  say,  against  the  thick  skulls 
of  her  assailants  ;  but  the  brave  girl  fought  with  it,  nevertheless, 
as  earnestly  as  though  the  weapon  were  an  axe,  and  every  blow 
from  it  would  tell  upon  her  enemies. 

The  situation  of  the  boy  and  the  girl  was  without  doubt  ex- 
tremely critical,  and  I  shudder  to  think  what  would  have  been 
their  fate  had  Providence  not  sent  me  to  hunt  the  hare  in  those 
parts  that  afternoon. 

As  it  was,  Borka  and  Borza  each  laid  a  wolf  by  the  throat  in 
quicker  time  than  the  words  can  be  written  or  read.  For  myself, 
being  armed  with  my  gun  (a  rarity  in  that  day,  and  the  intensely- 
valued  gift  of  my  uncle,  who  brought  it  from  Moscow  for  me),  I, 
too,  accounted  for  one  wolf  very  speedily,  and  the  fourth  having 
quickly  disappeared  on  catching  sight  of  Borka  and  Borza,  I 
turned  my  attention  to  the  group  which  were  engaged  upon  the 
carcase  of  the  horse. 

Meanwhile  the  youth  had  stabbed  the  two  animals  secured  by 
the  hounds,  and  my  two  faithful  companions  now  bounded  to  my 
side,  to  take  part  in  further  conquests.  Though  unwilling  to 
relinquish  their  banquet,  the  six  remaining  wolves  drew  off, 
snarling  and  threatening,  less  willing  to  fight  than  to  feast. 
Borza  and  Borka,  however,  would  take  no  denial,  and  each  quickly 
engaged  a  second  antagonist,  the  rest  instantly  disappearing  ;  and 
with  the  stabbing  of  these  two  the  battle  ended,  and  I  was  at 
liberty  to  give  my  attention  to  the  youth  and  the  maiden  to 
whose  aid  we  had  so  providentially  arrived. 

The  girl  stood  over  the  remains  of  the  half-eaten  horse,  and 
her  eyes,  I  saw,  had  filled  with  tears.  She  dashed  them  away  as 
she  observed  me  looking  at  her,  and  frowned.     Then  she  smiled. 

'  Grod  sent  you  in  time  to  save  Andrey  and  myself.'  she  said, 
'  but  not  poor  Vaiska !  I  wish  you  had  arrived  five  minutes 
sooner ! ' 

'  So  do  I,'  I  said,  '  if  you  do ! ' 

'  Oh,  we  should  have  beaten  them  off  in  a  minute  or  two  ! ' 
said  the  youth.     I  could  not  resist  bursting  into  a  loud  laugh. 

'What,  ten  wolves  to  one  dagger?'  I  said. 

'  And  a  brave  heart  and  two  strong  arms  ! '  added  the  youth. 

'  Say,  at  least,  tivo  brave  hearts  and  a  riding-whip,'  said  J,  still 
laughing. 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 


2  c ; 


The  girl  laughed  also,  and  her  eyes  flashed  gratefully,  I  thought, 
at  me. 

'Don't  be  foolish,  Audrey, '  she  said,  'and  ungrateful;  this  lad 
and  his  dogs  have  saved  us,  and  we  thank  them.' 

'  Oh,  yes,  we  thank  them,' assented  the  youth,  but  not  very 
cordially.  '  We  should  have  been  all  right  if  that  brute  Ufa  had 
not  played  the  loo!,  curse  him  !  I  shall  half  kill  him  for  this  if  I 
find  him  at  home  in  his  stable!'  I  learned  afterwards  that, 
pursued  by  the  wolves,  the  brother  and  sister  had  galloped  home- 
wards through  the  woods,  keeping  well  in  front  of  their  pursuers, 
until  I'fa,  Audrey's  horse,  had  shied  and  thrown  him  and  bolted. 
At  this  the  girl  had  pulled  up  and  dismounted  on  the  instant,  the 
wolves  falling  upon  her  pony  immediately  and  tearing  it  to  pieces, 
while  she  placed  herself  at  Andrey's  side,  just  as  I  had  found  her. 

Nothing  was  said  as  to  Vera's  splendid  and  heroic  conduct  at 
this  time  ;  I  did  not  know  of  it  until  long  afterwards. 

I  took  a  dislike  to  Andrey  from  the  first  moment.  If  his 
sister  had  not  been  present  now,  I  believe  I  should  have  chastised 
him  for  his  ingratitude  at  that,  our  very  first  meeting,  though  he 
had  quite  a  two  years'  advantage  over  me.  But  I  was  interested 
in  the  girl  Vera,  and  wished  to  hear  more  of  her  voice  and  less  of 
his.  I  called  up  my  dogs  and  bade  them  greet  her.  Borka  and 
Borza  went,  at  my  bidding,  and  laid  their  long  faces  in  her  lap  as 
she  sat,  one  from  one  side  and  the  other  from  the  opposite,  and 
looked  kindly  up  in  her  eyes. 

'  What  dear  dogs  ! '  she  said  ;  '  look,  Andrey.' 

'  They  are  fairly  good  hounds,'  said  he,  '  but  we  have  a  dozen 
better  at  Molebsk.' 

'  That  I'll  wager  you  have  not,'  said  I,  warmly. 

'  Considering  that  I  have  seen  both  those  and  these,  and  you 
only  these,  the  wager  would  be  a  foolish  one  on  your  part ! '  said 
the  youth  haughtily. 

I  turned  from  him  angrily,  for  the  very  look  of  the  fellow 
made  my  fingers  itch  to  chastise  him.  }Iy  old  Cossack  pony, 
Daniel,  stood  close  by,  half  asleep ;  I  had  not  tied  him  up,  because 
I  knew  well  that  neither  wolf  nor  devil  nor  anything  else  would 
cause  old  Daniel  to  lose  his  head ;  and  if  he  saw  me  dismounted 
among  the  wolves  he  would  wait,  in  full  confidence  upon  my 
sagacity,  and  perhaps  sleep  quietly  until  I  remounted. 

'Daniel  shall  carry  you  home,' I  said,  addressing  the  girl  at 
my  side,  'if  you  can  sit  him  without  a  saddler'  I  never  u-ed  a 
saddle  myself. 

VOL.  xxvnr.  xo.  CLX1Y,  Y 


2oS  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

Yer?.  laughed  merrily. 

'  A  saddle  ! '  she  repeated,  '  I  ?  As  soon  I  would  ride  in  an 
arm-chair.  I  have  never  tried  a  saddle.  But  I  will  walk  with 
Andrey — it  is  not  far,  five  miles,  perhaps.  Nevertheless,  I  than1: 
you  for  the  offer.' 

'  Daniel  shall  carry  you  both,'  I  said ;  '  the  wolves  are  about  ; 
you  cannot  walk  unarmed  all  that  distance.  I  am  armed  and  have 
the  dogs  ;  I  will  call  for  the  horse  afterwards.' 

'  I  am  not  afraid,'  said  Vera.  And  I  am  certain  that  this  was 
the  plain  truth.  Nevertheless,  Andrey  recommended  that  my 
offer  should  be  accepted  :  the  walk  was  somewhat  dangerous,  and 
besides  Vera  was  not  accustomed  to  walking,  and  it  would  be 
rather  far  for  her,  who  always  rode. 

So  the  two  mounted  old  Daniel,  who  looked  inquiringly  at  me, 
being  somewhat  surprised,  though  it  took  a  good  deal  to  surprise 
old  Daniel. 

'  All  right,  Daniel,*  I  said,  '  go  ahead !  "Whom  shall  I  ask  for 
at  Kamka?'  I  added,  as  they  rode  quietly  off.  Kamka  was  the 
village  at  which  they  had  said  they  were  at  present  residing, 
although  IMolebsk  was  their  town  home.  The  youth  laughed 
haughtily.  '  I  forgot,'  he  said ;  '  it  is  so  unusual  that  anyone 
should  be  unacquainted  with  our  names  in  these  parts  ;  I  am 
Prince  Krilof.' 

'  (xood  heavens  ! '  I  blurted  out  foolishly,  and  flushing  deeply, 
1  and  is  she  a  Krilof,  then  ?  What  a  terrible  misfortune  ! '  This 
was  a  very  imbecile  speech,  but  my  nest  was  even  feebler : 

'  I    am    Stroganof,  you    see.'    I    stammered,    '  and    if    I   had 

known ' 

'  What .' '  cried  Krilof,  '  you  a  Stroganof!  Come,  Vera,  off  with 
you  ;  I  wish  to  heaven  he  and  his  mongrel  dogs  had  stayed  away ; 
you  would  not  be  beholden  to  a  Stroganof!  Off  with  you,  I  say ; 
we  will  walk  ! ' 

'Do  not  speak  like  a  fool.  Audrey,'  said  Vera,  dismounting, 
however,  as  she  spoke ;  '  you  would  have  been  eaten  by  the  wolves 
ere  this  but  for  him  and  his  dogs.'  She  flashed  her  gr,eat  eyes  at 
me,  and  added  :  '  We  thank  you  for  your  timely  help,  but  we — I — 
wish  you  were  not  a  Stroganof !  '  With  that  she  and  he  walked 
away  leaving  me  standing  like  a  stuffed  animal  beside  Daniel, 
who  ;-tood  like  another.  She  turned  once  and  I  was  almost  sure 
she  smiled ;  but  he  never  looked  round  at  all. 

I  stood  for  several  minutes  dazed,  and  with  my  blood  running 
like  a  mill-race  through  my  head,  too  bewildered  and  stunned  to 


A    BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  209 

think;  then  it  struck  me  that  I  had  better  follow  them  at  a 
distance,  in  case  of  accidents,  for  wolves  are  uncanny  folk  to  deal 
with.  So  I  roused  Daniel,  who  slept  peacefully  at  my  Bide, 
whistled  up  Borka  and  Borza,  and  went  in  pursuit.  I  dared  not 
come  close  up,  but  once  or  twice  I  caught  sight  of  a  fluttering 
white  skirt  through  the  trees,  and  this  was  a  comfort  to  me  :  and 
so  1  followed  the  Krilofs  all  the  way  to  Kamka.  I  was  undi 
impression  that  I  was  unobserved;  but  I  have  since  learned  that 
.:  least,  of  the  two  knew  all  the  while  that  I  was  at  hand. 


(To  b*.  continued.) 


i    - 


At  the  Sign  of  the  Ship. 


'  ^OPHIEL ;  or,  the  Bride  of  Seven,  is  by  far  the  most  original 
poem  that  this  generation  has  produced.'  So  said  the 
British  Poet  Laureate,  the  late  Mr.  Robert  Southey.  The  genera- 
tion wherein  Zophiel  was  the  most  original  poem  by  far  was  the 
generation  of  Keats  and  Shelley.  The  author  of  Zophiel  was 
Mrs.  Brookes,  of  New  England,  a  citoyenne  of  the  United  States. 
Eemembering  all  this,  I  turned  eagerly  to  Professor  Brander 
Matthews's  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  American  Literature  in 
search  of  facts  about  The  Bride  of  Seven  (one  down  and  the  other 
come  on),  for  Southey  did  not  praise  all  poetry  at  random.  His 
own,  he  said,  was  like  turtle  soup ;  Wordsworth's  was  '  like 
asparagus  and  artichokes.'  I  am  no  Vitellius  to  bathe  in  Southey's 
turtle  soup ;  nobody  takes  it  now.  '  Nothing  can  be  more  absurd,' 
Southey  adds,  '  than  to  think  of  comparing  any  of  my  poems  with 
Paradise  Lost'  (whoever  did  think  of  it?).  '  With  Tasso,  with 
Virgil,  and  with  Homer  there  may  be  grounds  of  comparison.' 


Southey~entertaining  these  absurd  beliefs  about  his  own  great- 
ness, his  praise  of  others  was  not  lavish.  But  he  did  praise 
Zophiel.  Therefore  it  is  extraordinary  that  Professor  Matthews 
leaves  Zophiel  out  of  his  Introduction  to  American  Literature, 
m  which  I  expected  The  Bride  of  Seven  (what  a  woman !)  to  be 
the  most  conspicuous  jewel.  Mrs.  Brookes,  of  New  England,  is  not 
in  the  Index;  not  with  Priscilla  Alden,  Charles  H.  Farnham, 
John  Jay,  E.  P.  Whipple,  and  the  other  literary  swells.  I  call  it 
cruel !  I  demand  justice  for  Mrs.  Brookes  and  The  Bride  of  Seven 
— perhaps  the  lady  in  the  story  of  Tobit. 


The  early  literature  of  America  is  rapidly  dismissed.     Cotton 
Mather,  that  pleasant  author,  is  content  with  a  few  lines.     Yet 


THE  LOBSTER  AT  HOME. 


2S1 


their  muscular  tails,  or  of  leaving  their  claws,  when  necessary, 
behind  them.  They  can  either  carry  out  a  '  strategic  movement 
to  the  rear  '  into  deeper  water,  or  dart  back  with  a  bound  to  the 
safety  of  their  rock  shelter,  where,  with  body  protected  and  only 
the  armoured  head,  spiked  frontlet,  and  huge  claws  projecting, 
they  present  a  terrific  face  to  the  most  determined  aggressor.  No 
creature  of  their  size  is  more  formidable  or  better  armed.  They 
represent  in  our  seas  the  highest  result  of  natural  selection  in  the 
crustacean  line,  perhaps  even  the  most  splendid  development  of 
the  mailed  soldier  type  now  living  on  our  planet.  And  when 
seen  by  the  proper  light  in  their  native  element  they  are  as 
beautiful  in  hue  and  as  graceful  in  movement  as  they  are  wonder- 
ful in  shape  and  terrible  in  fighting. 

Guam  Allen. 


282 


A  Boyar  of  the  Terrible. 

A   ROMANCE   OF  THE  COURT   OF  IVAN  THE    CRUEL, 
FIRST  TSAR    OF  RUSSIA. 

By  Feed.  Whishaw, 
Author  of  '  Out  of  Dooes  in  Tsaeland,'  etc. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PEINCESS    veea. 

NOT  yet  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  in  love!  This  appears 
somewhat  absurd,  I  know,  and  yet  undoubtedly  such  was 
the  case  ;  I  was  certainly  in  love. 

Some  persons  develop  both  physically  and  intellectually  earlier 
than  others,  and  both  in  bodily  and  also  in  mental  growth,  I  was 
one  of  the  rapid  developers.  I  was  at  this  time  fully  as  tall  and 
probably  much  stronger  than  most  boys  of  seventeen  years  old, 
and  had,  moreover,  acquired  a  habit  of  living  within  myself,  as 
the  result  of  the  want  of  sympathy  between  my  brothers  and  me, 
which  habit  had  probably  quickened  my  intelligence  so  that  I  was 
more  of  a  man  than  my  age  would  indicate. 

And  so  also  in  matters  of  the  heart  it  must  be  assumed  that  I 
was  somewhat  exotic  in  my  development ;  for  this  love  which  I  now 
felt,  was  serious  enough  ;  it  was,  indeed,  in  no  way  allied  to  that 
feeble  sentiment  usually  associated  with  boys  in  their  first  excur- 
sions into  Cupid's  domains,  but  a  strong  and  ruling  passion  which 
wore  well  and  did  not  disappear  with  my  teens. 

So,  then,  I  was  in  love,  and  with  a  Krilof.  This  was  unfor- 
tunate ;  but,  as  I  assured  myself  at  the  time,  I  had  no  personal 
share  in  the  family  feud  existing  between  her  people  and  mine, 
neither  had  she.     What  was  it  to  us  that  our  ancestors  had  desired 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  283 

to  cut  one  another's  throats?  If  she  cared  as  little  as  I  for  the 
ancient  quarrel,  it  should  not  stand  between  us  for  one  moment. 
Nevertheless,  since  her  relatives  would  probably  be  of  a  different 
opinion,  there  would  be  great  difficulties  in  my  courtship  of  this 
young  lady,  and  the  contemplation  of  these  difficulties  rendered 
me  sorrowful  and  dejected  as  I  wandered  through  the  woods  on 
the  morning  after  my  first  meeting  with  Vera.  I  wandered  thus 
every  day,  accompanied  always  by  Borka  and  Borza,  and  mounted 
invariably  upon  old  Daniel.  1  knew  every  yard  of  the  country  for 
miles  around,  and  any  one  of  us  four  (the  two  dogs  I  mean,  and 
the  pony  and  myself),  if  blindfolded  and  set  down  anywhere  within 
ten  miles  of  our  home,  in  the  densest  forest,  would  have  recog- 
nised the  spot  at  a  glance  and  headed  straight  for  Perm.  On  this 
particular  morning,  whether  consciously  or  unconsciously,  I  rode 
straight  as  a  line  for  the  village  of  Kamka,  where  I  had  last  caught 
a  glimpse  of  my  charmer  ;  but  whether  I  had  any  settled  plan  as 
to  my  movements  when  I  should  arrive  there,  I  cannot  say  with 
certainty.  I  do  not  think  I  had.  I  felt  that  I  must  go  to  Kamka, 
I  believe,  and  that  was  all — and  to  Kamka  I  went.  We  hunted 
a  hare  or  two  on  the  way,  but  so  far  as  any  ardour  on  my  part  was 
concerned,  the  quarry  might  have  escaped  us  and  welcome.  It 
was  seldom,  however,  that  poor  pussy  escaped  when  Borka  and 
Borza  were  in  the  field  and  on  her  tracks ;  for  they  were  Black 
Death  to  all  their  enemies,  were  those  superb  dogs ;  and,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  two  or  three  hares  now  hung  over  Daniel's  haunches 
as  he  ambled  along  through  the  trees. 

Close  to  the  village  of  Kamka,  just  where  a  rustic  road  turns 
at  an  angle  out  of  the  cultivated  land  surrounding  the  huts  of  the 
peasants,  and  enters  the  forest,  I  rode  straight  into  a  cavalcade  of 
horsemen — three  youths,  armed  with  flint  guns  and  accompanied 
by  a  whole  pack,  of  a  dozen  or  so,  of  hounds,  of  the  same  breed  as 
my  own,  which  was  a  common  type  of  dog  about  our  part  of  the 
world.  There  were  half  a  dozen  serfs  with  them,  all  armed  and 
mounted.  One  of  the  well-dressed  young  men  in  front  of  the 
cavalcade  was  my  acquaintance  of  yesterday,  Prince  Audrey 
Krilof,  and  I  concluded,  as  soon  as  I  caught  sight  of  the  party, 
that  they  were  going  to  search  for  the  rest  of  the  wolf-pack  of 
the  previous  day.  and  wipe  them  out  of  existence  with  hound  and 
gun.  Borka  and  Borza  sniffed  and  snarled  with  the  strange  dogs, 
and  the  meeting  at  first  looked  as  though  it  must  end  in  a  fight ; 
but — as  dogs  do  —they  settled  the  matter  amicably  and  no  blood 
was  shed. 


284  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE, 

We  humans  were  less  friendly  to  one  another  than  they. 

Andrey  started  and  flushed  when  he  saw  me:  'It  is  that 
Stroganof  cub,'  I  heard  him  tell  his  companions — his  two  brothers 
as  I  afterwards  learned.  I  took  off  my  cap,  perhaps  unconsciously  ; 
it  is  a  courtesy  that  every  Eussian  offers  to  an  acquaintance,  even 
peasant  to  peasant.  Only  one  of  the  three  brothers  returned  the 
salutation.     This  irritated  me. 

'  It  is  customary  to  bow  to  an  acquaintance,'  I  said  angrily, 
'  even  though  he  may  have  taken  the  liberty  to  save  your  life 
without  permission.' 

'  If  I  am  to  bow  to  those  who  saved  my  life,  then  I  must  salute 
these  dogs,  not  you  ! '  said  Andrey,  impertinently,  and  he  removed 
his  cap  and  bowed  low  towards  the  place  where  Borka  and  Borza 
were  comparing  notes  with  the  others  of  their  species.  Both  of 
his  companions  laughed  at  this  sally,  which  struck  me  as  being 
both  rude  and  ungrateful. 

I  said  nothing,  however,  and  Andrey  resumed,  taking  advan- 
tage of  my  embarrassment. 

'  And  what,  may  I  ask,'  he  continued,  '  brings  a  Stroganof  on 
two  consecutive  days  into  the  private  domains  of  the  Krilofs  ? ' 

'  I  ride  where  I  please  ! '  I  said,  blushing. 

'  And  take  what  you  please  also,  it  appears,'  cried  Krilof, 
glancing  at  the  game  I  had  with  me ;  '  those  hares,  I  doubt  not, 
were  killed  upon  our  land.' 

'  The  land  may  be  yours,'  I  said,  '  but  the  game  that  runs  or 
flies  is  God's.' 

'  Xot  so/  said  Andrey  ;  '  it  is  the  gift  of  God  to  us  who  own 
the  soil,  just  as  the  wheat  is  that  grows  upon  it ;  and  he  who 
hunts  the  hare  upon  our  land  robs  us  of  our  own.' 

This  was  a  new  theory  to  me,  who  had  hitherto  looked  upon 
game  of  every  kind  as  no  man's  property,  except  his  who  captures 
or  kills  it.  I  laughed  mockingly,  and  said  if  that  was  his  opinion, 
he  was  welcome  to  his  hares ;  and  with  the  words  I  took  the  game 
and  threw  it  in  his  face,  knocking  his  cap  off. 

Andrey  flushed  red,  and  grabbed  at  his  hunting-knife  as 
though  to  attack  me,  but  his  brother  caught  his  arm  and  prevented 
him.  A  serf  picked  up  his  cap  and  handed  it  to  him  ;  he  glared 
at  me,  muttering  something. 

'  Come  away,  brother,'  said  one  of  the  others  ;  '  this  is  un- 
seemly. He  has  no  manners,  but  he  is  a  Stroganof,  and  only 
a  boy.' 

'  Oh,  stay  on,  if  you  please,'  said  I  foolishly.     '  Boy  though 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 


285 


be,  I  am  man  enough  for  two  or  three  Krilofs,  I  dare  Bay ;  and  as 
for  manners,  this  fellow  had  not  the  politeness  to  return  my  bow 
until  I  knocked  his  cap  off  for  him  ! ' 

To  this  foolishness  I  received  no  reply  and  deserved  none, 
and  presently  the  cavalcade  rode  away,  leaving  me.  But  ere  they 
departed  Audrey  found  occasion  to  level  one  more  insult  at  me. 

'  Matvey,'  he  said,  addressing  one  of  the  serfs,  '  ride  back  and 
warn  the  Princess  Vera  to  remain  at  home  to-day  ;  there  are 
rogues  about,  tell  her.' 

I  would  gladly  have  destroyed  the  speaker,  then  and  there ; 
but,  feeling  that  my  case  was  a  hopeless  one  for  the  moment,  I 
contented  myself  with  the  promise  of  dire  vengeance  upon  this 
detestable  and  ungrateful  person  at  the  very  first  opportunity. 

Then,  since  I  was  unwilling  to  appear  before  my  charmer  in 
the  character  of  a  rogue,  against  whom  she  had  been  warned  to 
protect  herself,  I  rode  slowly  and  moodily  homewards,  as  angry 
and  vindictive  a  youth  as  existed  in  all  Eussia. 

But  anger  fades  with  the  hours  of  day,  and  true  love  does  not; 
and  when  the  evening  came  I  had  decided  that,  whether  I  met 
and  chastised  Andrey  or  not — though  of  course  I  hoped  that  I 
should — I  must  in  any  case  ride  to  Kanaka  again  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  contrive  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  my  princess  ;  for  I  felt  that 
my  heart  would  certainly  burst  if  I  did  not  see  her. 

To  my  uncle  and  brothers  I  said  nothing  about  having  seen 
the  Krilofs ;  still  less  inclined  was  I  to  mention  that  I  had  fallen 
in  love.  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  speak  of  such  a  thing  to 
them;  their  commercial  minds  could  never,  I  thought,  have 
grasped  the  idea  of  love.  They  would  have  said  I  was  mad — which 
they  often  affirmed  even  without  this  excuse — or  they  might  have 
.caid  something  to  irritate  me,  and  this  would  have  been  a  pity,  for 
I  loved  my  brothers  well  in  spite  of  their  absolute  want  of  sympat  b  v 
for  my  turn  of  mind,  and  of  mine  for  theirs. 

And  so,  on  the  following  day,  I  rode  with  my  usual  companions 
through  the  forest,  and  again  Kanaka  was  the  objective  point  for 
cur  journey.  This  time  I  did  not  meet  my  enemy  Andrey,  nor 
his  brothers  ;  but  I  suddenly  came  upon  a  far  more  welcome  sight ; 
for,  as  I  rode  slowly  through  a  pine-glade  a  mile  or  two  from  the 
village,  there  was  the  Princess  Vera  herself,  mounted  upon  a 
beautiful  Cossack  pony,  and  riding  in  the  same  direction  as  I,  and 
only  fifty  yards  ahead  of  me.  I  spurred  old  Daniel  on,  and  my 
charmer,  hearing  the  clattering  of  his  hoofs  behind  her,  looked 
round. 

VOL.  XXVIII.   NO.  CLXV.  U 


236  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

She  blushed  when  she  saw  me — that  much  I  was  certain  of — 
and  then  she  frowned  and  turned  her  horse  aside  into  the  forest 
without  a  word  or  a  look  of  greeting.  My  heart  sank  when  I  saw 
this;  for,  I  thought,  a  cherished  family  feud,  as  a  sort  of  outer 
line  of  defence,  would  render  the  capture  of  the  citadel,  her  affec- 
tions, additionally  difficult.  Nevertheless,  I  did  not  despair,  but 
directed  old  Daniel  into  the  line  my  charmer  had  taken,  following 
close  upon  her ;  that  is,  about  ten  yards  behind,  Borka  and  Borza 
accompanying  me,  one  on  each  side,  and  doubtless  wondering  at 
this  new  kind  of  chase. 

I  had  no  idea  whither  Vera  was  directing  her  course,  but  I  saw 
with  some  satisfaction  that  at  all  events  it  was  not  towards  Kamka. 
Her  pony  was  a  beautiful  creature  and  moved  superbly,  and  had  I 
bestridden  any  horse  in  our  stables  other  than  old  Daniel,  she 
would  have  outstripped  me  hopelessly  that  day.  But  old  Daniel 
held  his  own  easily. 

Mile  followed  upon  mile,  and  still  this  odd  chase  went  on,  and 
presently  I  realised  that  if  Vera  pursued  her  present  course  a  little 
farther  we  should  reach  the  banks  of  the  Kama,  and  then,  I  thought 
exultancy,  I  should  have  her ;  for  when  she  turned — as  turn  she 
must — sJ.e  would  confront  me,  and  then  she  could  not  very  well 
ignore  altogether  my  presence,  and  must  surely  speak. 

For  up  to  now  no  word  or  look  had  been  interchanged  between 
us ;  the  ride  had  been  as  silent  as  the  flight  of  time  itself,  and, 
saving  that  first  rapid  glance,  she  had  betrayed  no  consciousness 
whatever  of  my  presence. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  the  river  came  in  sight.  I  could  see  its 
wide  bosom  gleaming  in  the  sunshine,  glittering  here  and  there 
between  the  tree-trunks,  and  I  rejoiced  at  the  sight,  for  I  knew 
this  foolish  pursuit  would  now  end,  and  I  should  at  least  have  the 
delight  of  looking  once  more  in  her  eyes,  even  though  she  were 
still  obstinate  and  refused  to  speak  to  me. 

I  have  since  that  day  thought  and  laughed  many  and  many  a 
time  over  that  odd  love-chase  of  our  boy  and  girl  days,  but  I  cer- 
tainly'found  nothing  in  it  to  laugh  at  at  the  time.  On  the  contrary, 
though  quite  in  love  with  this  girl,  I  was  waxing  very  angry  with 
her,  for,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I  have  never,  from  my  earliest  youth, 
taken  kindly  to  the  opposing  of  other  wills  to  my  own — and  I 
never  hunted  hare  or  fox  with  more  determination  to  capture  my 
quarry  than  did  I  now  pursue  this  incomprehensible  but  irresistible 
little  princess. 

And  now  the  river  bank  was  all  but  reached,  and  I  spurred  old 


A   BOYAR   01    THE    TERRIBLE. 


287 


Daniel  forward,  in  order  to  be  at  her  very  elbow  when  she  should 
turn  anil  face  me. 

But  Vera  turned  neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left. 
She  raised  her  arm  as  she  approached  the  bank,  and  encouraging 
her  pony  by  word  and  gesture,  plunged  with  him  straight  into  the 
stream,  to  mv  great  and  almost  boundless  astonishment  and  con- 
sternation, for  I  had  not  dreamt  of  the  girl  committing  so  foolish 
an  act,  the  season  being  spring-time  and  the  river  at  flood  with 
melted  snows,  and  very  rapid  and  wide,  and  consequently  dan- 
gerous. 

Daniel  and  I  were  not  long  in  following  her  lead,  however  ;  we 
had  forded  and  swum  many  a  stream  together,  he  and  I,  and  thought 
little  of  such  things ;  though  I  should  have  hesitated  before  attempt- 
ing the  Kama  at  full  flood,  but  for  the  necessity  of  following  this 
foolish  girl  in  her  mad  enterprise.  As  we  sprang  from  the  bank  I 
saw  Vera  turn  her  head  for  the  first  time — to  see.  doubtless,  whether 
I  had  followed  her ;  and  finding  that  I  was  still  in  pursuit,  she 
flashed  her  eyes  at  me  and  laughed  aloud,  saying  something  which 
I  lost  in  the  splash  of  our  contact  with  the  water.  She  headed  for 
the  opposite  shore  ;  but  I  was  well  aware  that  she  could  never  stem 
this  current,  and  that  the  farther  she  left  this  shore  of  ours,  the 
more  difficult  would  it  be  to  return — as  return  she  must  or  be 
swept  away,  hopelessly,  by  the  swirl  of  mid-stream.  Even  now  the 
current  was  taking  her  pony  flankwise  and  twisting  him  half  round 
towards  me  ;  he  was  unaccustomed  to  this  work,  and  was  frightened 
by  the  rush  of  the  water  ;  and  fearing  that  he  would  lose  his  head 
and  sink,  I  spurred  Daniel  and  directed  him  slightly  down-stream, 
in  order  to  intercept  his  less  experienced  fellow  and  its  precious 
burden. 

In  a  moment  I  had  overtaken  them  and  laid  hold  of  Vera's 
bridle.  '  Come  back,'  I  said,  tugging  it  round,  '  this  is  foolish 
play ! ' 

1  Let  go,'  cried  Vera  ;  '  are  you  frightened  ?  Let  go,  I  Bay  ; 
turn  back  if  you  fear  to  follow  me  across,  but  let  go  ! '  It  was  no 
time  for  courtesies  and  explanations  ;  I  pulled  her  horse  round  and 
headed  him  for  the  shore,  she  shouting  to  me  to  let  go,  and,  I 
think,  even  striking  me  with  her  riding-whip. 

But  whether  her  pony  was  spent  with  his  long  gallop,  or 
whether — which  is  more  likely — he  was  less  excellent  as  a  swimmer 
than  as  a  land-goer,  he  now  showed  signs  of  exhaustion,  and, 
though  we  were  not  very  far  from  shore  and  by  no  means  in  the 
worst  of  the  current,  it  was  clear  that  he  could  not  stem  the  one 

0  2 


288  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

and  reach  the  other ;  for  all  the  splashing  of  his  forelegs,  desperately 
struggling,  gained  him  not  an  inch  of  water  shorewards,  and  his 
only  progress  was  sideways — drifting,  in  fact,  helplessly  at  the 
mercy  of  the  stream. 

I  dropped  the  bridle,  and  seized  Vera  with  my  arm. 

{  Come,'  I  said,  '  your  horse  is  helpless ;  he  will  drown  in  a 
moment ! ' 

But  Vera,  though  pale  now  and  evidently  concerned  for  her 
horse's  safety,  shook  me  off  and  bade  me  let  her  be. 

'  Nay,  you  shall  come,'  I  said,  and  placing  my  arm  fairly  round 
her  waist,  I  lifted  her  from  her  own  horse  and  placed  her  upon 
Daniel.  Once  I  had  done  this,  she  struggled  no  more,  but  allowed 
me  to  hold  her  on,  and  then  we  found  that  she  had  abandoned 
her  steed  none  too  soon,  for  the  next  moment  the  poor  animal  was 
caught  in  a  swirl  of  the  current,  was  twisted  round,  struggling 
helplessly,  splashed  for  an  instant  or  two  with  knees  showing  above 
the  surface  in  his  frantic  efforts  to  keep  afloat,  and  then  suddenly 
disappeared  and  was  seen  no  more. 

Good  old  Daniel  brought  his  burden  to  shore  in  safety,  though 
I  eased  him  to  some  extent  by  slipping  off  and  swimming  along- 
side, holding  by  the  bridle,  and  so,  happily,  we  arrived  in  port. 

I  was  prepared  for  scolding,  and  perhaps  for  scorn,  but  not  for 
kindness ;  and  therefore  her  first  words,  which  were  spoken  in  a 
gentle  manner  and  with  no  appearance  of  anger,  surprised  and 
pleased  me  greatly.  '  You  have  then,'  she  said,  '  after  all,  some 
will  of  your  own  ! ' 

'  I  am  sometimes  told  that  I  have  too  much  ! '  I  said. 

4  Indeed  ?  '  she  said,  '  you  surprise  me.' 

I  could  not  imagine  what  she  was  driving  at,  and  answered 
nothing. 

'  And  yet,'  she  continued,  '  you  were  easily  persuaded,  yester- 
day, to  part  with  the  game  you  had  killed,  at  my  brother's  bid- 
ding !     Perhaps  your  valour  is  not  equal  to  your  will-power  ? ' 

'  No  one  has  ever  called  me  a  coward  yet,'  I  faltered. 

'  And  yet  you  were  frightened  away  from  Kamka  yesterday,' 
she  retorted.  'Do  you  know  what  I  hate  worse  than  anything 
in  the  world  ?  '  she  added,  knitting  her  brows  and  bending  a  little 
towards  me  from  Daniel's  back — '  a  coward  ! ' 

'  Your  brother  sent  a  serf  with  an  insulting  message  to  you 
about  me,'  I  said,  blushing. 

'  I  am  acquainted  with  Andrey's  ways,'  she  said,  and  there  the 
conversation  ended.  We  only  spoke  at  intervals  after  this,  and  by 
the  time  we  arrived  at  Kamka,  or  as  close  to  the  village  as  she 


A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  289 

would  allow  me  to  come,  I  had  scarcely  made  any  progress  towards 
intimacy  with  Vera.  She  smiled,  however,  when  we  parted,  and 
said  that  it  was  well  that  I  possessed  a  will  of  my  own,  though  I 
had  only  exercised  it  over  a  weak  girl.     I  flushed. 

'  If  your  brother  is  chastised  one  of  these  days.'  I  said  hotly, 
'  he  will  have  you  to  thank  for  it  ! ' 

'  There,  there,  there  !  '  she  cried,  laughing  merrily,  and  her 
eyes  Hashing  deliciously,  '  there  speaks  a  man  at  last !  Men  are 
made  for  fighting,  and  not  for  swallowing  insults  !  '  And  with  this 
she  ran  off  through  the  trees,  waving  her  hand  and  smiling  as  she 
disappeared. 

And,  in  truth,  she  left  me  an  exceedingly  bewildered  and 
astonished  young  man,  for  she  was  a  harder  nut  than  I  had  wit 
enough  to  crack  at  that  time  and  for  some  while  after ;  and  all 
that  I  could  comprehend  of  the  matter  now  was,  that  here  was  a 
sister  who,  for  some  inscrutable  reason,  desired  me,  a  stranger,  or 
nearly  so,  to  break  her  own  brother's  head — unless,  indeed,  she 
was  anxious  that  I  should  get  my  own  broken.  And  the  upshot 
of  the  day's  work  was,  that  I  was  more  determined  than  ever  to 
pick  a  quarrel  with  Prince  Andrey  Krilof ;  and  if  I  could  oblige 
his  sister  by  doing  so,  why,  so  much  the  better. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

AMONG   THE   BRIGANDS. 


It  is  my  desire  to  avoid  anything  savouring  of  boastfulness  in 
this  record,  and  therefore  I  do  not  propose  to  enter  into  any 
details  as  to  the  occasion  upon  which  the  outstanding  account 
between  Prince  Andrey  Krilof  and  myself  was  settled.  Suffice  to 
say  that  on  the  day  following  the  events  just  described  I  prepared 
myself  for  meeting  my  enemy,  by  cutting  two  bludgeons  of  green 
wood,  of  equal  length  and  thickness,  which,  with  my  riding-whip, 
I  carried  in  my  hand  as  I  rode ;  and  that,  having  met  my  man, 
hunting  by  himself  in  the  forest,  I  soon  caused  him  to  quarrel 
with  me  and  to  agree  to  a  settlement  of  matters  in  general  by 
means  of  my  two  bludgeons,  of  which  I  gave  him  the  choice.  We 
were  fairly  equally  matched  in  size  and  strength,  though  he  was  two 
years  my  senior,  and  we  pounded  one  another  freely ;  but  in  the 
end  I  tired  him  out  and  brought  him  to  earth,  but  without  the 
breaking  of  bones  or  any  serious  hurt  beyond  bruises  and  con- 
tusions, of  which  I  certainly  had  a  fair  share. 


290  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

We  were  better  friends  after  this  battle  than  before  it,  for 
Andrey  now  treated  me  with  respect ;  and  indeed  for  a  while 
appeared,  or  perhaps  allowed  himself  to  appear,  in  a  far  more 
agreeable  light  from  this  day  onward.  But  after  our  settlement 
I  felt  bound  to  insist  upon  his  assistance  in  a  hare-hunt  (during 
which  Borka  and  Borza  showed  their  great  superiority  over  his 
hounds — he  declaring,  however,  that  he  possessed  a  dozen  better 
than  these  at  home),  for  I  was  desirous  of  making  a  little  offer- 
ing of  three  of  these  animals  to  the  Princess  Vera. 

Andrey  laughed  when  I  bade  him  take  the  game  and  present  it 
in  my  name  to  his  sister.  He  flushed,  and  I  cannot  tell  whether  he 
understood  the  matter  as  I  understood  it  or  not ;  if  he  did,  it  must 
have  been  a  disagreeable  duty  to  deliver  that  message.  However, 
he  said  that  his  sister  '  would  doubtless  be  pleased  to  accept  the 
gift,'  and  it  is  certain  that  he  performed  the  commission  entrusted 
to  him,  for  of  this  I  received  confirmation  afterwards. 

"When  next  I  met  Vera,  I  was  half  afraid  lest  she  should  be 
colder  than  ever  towards  me,  regarding  my  message  to  her  as  an 
impertinence,  and  perhaps  indignant  also  by  reason  of  my  victory 
over  her  brother ;  but,  to  my  surprise  and  joy,  the  actual  fact  was 
exactly  the  opposite  of  what  I  had  feared.  Vera  was  frank  and 
friendly,  and  made  no  allusion  whatever  to  ancient  feuds  or  to 
recent  quarrels,  but  rode  with  me,  and  hunted  with  me,  and  con- 
versed with  perfect  freedom.  Within  a  short  while  we  had  become 
intimate  friends,  and  towards  the  end  of  the  summer  an  adventure 
in  which  we  were  associated  cemented  our  friendship,  and  revealed, 
with  regard  to  her  feelings  for  me,  that  which  she  must  have  known 
long  since  to  be  the  condition  of  my  own  for  her,  though  neither 
of  us  had  used  the  language  of  love  up  to  this  time ;  for  I  fancy 
girls,  even  young  ones,  are  not  slow  to  observe  the  awakening  of 
the  tender  passion  in  the  opposite  sex  when  themselves  are  the 
object,  even  though  the  youth  be  both  too  awkward  and  too  shy 
to  state  the  fact  in  so  many  words — as  I  was ! 

We  were  riding  through  the  forest  one  afternoon,  not  far  from 
the  banks  of  the  Kama  river,  talking,  I  think,  about  my  Moscow 
experiences  and  the  vagaries  and  eccentric  enterprises  of  the  young 
Grand  Duke,  our  sovereign,  the  tale  of  whose  horrible  vengeance 
upon  Shuisky  had  lately  reached  us.  Vera  was  never  tired  of 
hearing  about  this  extraordinary  young  prince  and  of  my  associa- 
tion with  him,  and  of  the  good  influence  which  Adashef  and  I  had 
endeavoured  to  exert  over  him ;  and  especially  the  story  of  my 
ducking  of  his  Majesty  and  the  rest  in  the  stream,  which  exercised 


./   BO*AR   OF   T/fE    TERRIBLE, 


:9i 


an  extraordinary  fascination  over  her.  As  she  always  declared, 
there  must  he  the  elements  both  of  greatness  and  goodness  in 
Ivan,  or  he  could  never  have  forgiven  me  the  terrible  insult  of 
having  plunged  my  sovereign  in  the  stream ! 

Greatness  and  goodness,  indeed !  there  was  much  of  both  in 
my  dear  master,  as  those  who  knew  him  best  are  well  aware ; 
greatness  more  than  that  of  any  Kussian  since  the  world  began  ; 
and  goodness — what  human  being  is  always  good  ?  Only  by  the 
mercy  of  the  Highest  can  the  best  of  us  keep  sin  from  his  gate 
for  a  while ! 

But  my  old  man's  pen  is  running  away  with  me  again. 

We  were  wandering,  Vera  and  I,  as  I  said,  by  the  Kama  shore, 
conversing  happily  and  thinking  of  no  impending  evil,  when  there 
suddenly  sprang  out  from  behind  tree-trunks  and  aspen  bushes, 
which  abounded  there,*several  wild-looking  men,  who,  I  could  tell 
at  a  glance,  were  strangers  to  our  part  of  the  country.  Two  of 
the  fellows  graspe  1  my  bridle,  and  another  pair  seized  Yera's  rein, 
one  on  each  side. 

I  must  confess  that  I  entirely  lost  my  presence  of  mind  for  the 
first  moment,  the  attack  was  too  sudden.  Had  I  been  as  prompt 
to  resist  as  were  Borka  and  Borza,  I  might  have  dashed  my  men 
aside,  ridden  down  Vera's  assailants,  and  galloped  safely  away  with 
her.  But  I  was  surprised,  and  allowed  the  fellows  to  seize  and  hold 
my  bridle,  and  so  the  opportunity  was  lost.  The  two  dogs  instant  ly 
pinned  each  a  man,  but  I  called  them  off,  fearing  for  their  safety, 
and  bade  them  depart  home,  which  they  immediately  did,  looking 
ashamed,  and  imagining,  doubtless,  that  they  had  offended.  As 
for  me,  I  slipped  suddenly  back  over  the  tail  of  Daniel,  and  made 
for  those  who  held  Yera's  bridle  ;  but  I  was  quickly  seized  and 
captured,  though  I  fought  and  struggled  violently. 

Meanwhile,  beyond  a  few  inarticulate  cries  or  shouts  from  the 
attacking  party,  there  had  been  nothing  said  ;  indeed,  all  that  I 
have  BO  far  described  passed  in  less  time  than  is  occupied  in 
writing  a  single  line  of  this  history.  But  now  a  voice  made  itself 
heard — a  strong  authoritative  voice,  rough  but  not  unkindly  in 
tone. 

1  By  the  prophet!'  it  cried,  'that  is  a  young  spitfire  of  the 
first  order — secure  him,  you,  Abdul — but  don't  hurt  him.  Secure 
the  girl — some  of  you.' 

The  man  addressed  as  Abdul  bound  me  round  the  arms  with  a 
red  cloth  band — a  long  thing  which  he  unwound  from  about  his 
waist — I   struggling  ineffectually;  while  two  others  went  to  lift 


292  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

Vera  from  her  saddle.  But  my  splendid  Vera  here  asserted  her- 
self. She  clubbed  her  whip  as  she  had  done  to  beat  off  the 
wolves  at  our  first  meeting,  and  struck  out  at  the  first  who  offered 
to  touch  her. 

'  Hands  off ! '  she  cried,  so  haughtily  that  her  assailants  drew 
back  for  a  moment  and  looked  to  their  chief,  as  though  uncertain 
as  to  how  they  should  act ;  '  hands  off !  I  allow  no  one  to  touch 
me ! ' 

The  chief  laughed  aloud,  and  bade  the  men  remove  the  girl. 

Again  the  fellows  advanced,  and  once  more  they  recoiled,  as 
Vera,  with  flashing  eyes,  struck  them  over  face  and  hands  with 
her  whip,  calling  them  dogs,  cowards,  and  other  contemptuous 
names. 

I  joined  in  with  her  in  this  abuse,  and  cried  : 

'  Let  her  alone,  you  cowards ;  or  release  me,  and  I  will  fight 
you  one  by  one,  or  two  by  two,  beginning  with  that  guffawing 
ruffian  there ! '  with  which  I  nodded  towards  the  chief. 

'  Brave,  brave,  brave  ! '  the  latter  laughed.  '  I  like  him — I 
like  them  both — let  her  alone,  Hassan,  only  hold  the  bridle — and 
now  march,  all  of  you.  Don't  hurt  that  boy ;  if  I  mistake  not,  he 
is  worth  a  good  ransom  ! ' 

So  we  all  moved  away,  Vera  unmolested  and  still  mounted, 
thanks  to  her  own  courage  and  the  kindness  of  our  chief  captor ; 
I  bound,  but  not  very  tightly,  and  afoot ;  old  Daniel,  bucketting, 
led  by  two  of  the  robbers ;  Borka  and  Borza,  fortunately,  out  of 
sight  and  safe,  for  which  they  might  thank  my  training  and  their 
own  obedience. 

I  had  leisure  to  observe  the  chief  of  the  band  as  we  marched 
towards  the  river,  and  I  may  here  say  that  I  was  in  no  kind  of 
doubt  as  to  who  both  he  and  they  might  be.  I  had  heard  of  the 
late  arrival  in  these  parts  of  a  strong  Cossack  marauding  band, 
which  made  its  home  on  the  water,  going  from  place  to  place  in 
oar-barges  or  galleys,  and  living  by  plunder  and  ransom  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  the  provinces  through  which  they  passed.  Their 
chieftain  was  one  Yermak,  a  young  man  of  about  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  a  Cossack  and  a  hetman  or  ataman,  though  a  nomad 
and  a  buccaneer  of  hopelessly  vagabond  tastes  and  with  no  settled 
home  of  his  own.  This  man  was  said  to  possess  immense  influence 
over  his  followers,  and  to  have  met  with  extraordinary  success  in 
his  nefarious  profession  throughout  the  Don  and  Volga  provinces, 
which  he  had,  presumably,  exhausted  for  the  time  being,  since  he 
had  now  honoured  our  own  Kama  district  with  his  attentions. 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  293 

He  was  a  striking-looking  person,  of  middle  height,  but  with 
shoulders  and  chest  of  extraordinary  breadth.  His  eyes  were 
black  and  of  a  strangely  penetrating  type,  flashing  when  he  spoke 
like  two  gems  in  the  sun-rays.  His  nose  was  less  flat  than  is 
usual  in  Tartars,  to  which  race,  it  was  said,  he  belonged  ;  and  his 
mouth  opened  widely  when  he  smiled,  as  he  often  did,  and  revealed 
a  double  line  of  splendid  white  teeth.  He  wore  sword  and  large 
pistols  in  the  belt  of  his  kaftan,  as  well  as  more  than  one  long 
knife  with  worked  silver  handles.  His  handsome  face  was  crowned 
with  a  conical  cap,  of  which  the  lower  half  was  Astrachan  lamb's- 
wool  and  the  top  a  rich  velvet  of  deep  red  colour. 

I  was  gazing  into  this  man's  face  as  we  walked  along,  won- 
dering whether  this  was  indeed  that  Yermak  of  whom  I  had  heard 
much  of  late,  and  with  whose  wild  life  I  was  conscious  of  feeling 
much  sympathy — though  my  imagination  revolted  against  his 
unscrupulous  warfare  against  the  property  of  others — when  he 
turned  his  curious  eyes  upon  me  and  returned  my  gaze  for  an 
instant  or  two  without  speaking. 

'  Yes,  I  am  Yermak,'  he  said  presently,  and  apparently  in 
answer  to  my  thoughts,  for  I  had  said  nothing. 

I  flushed  with  surprise  that  he  should  have  read  my  secret 
soul  in  this  way,  and  perhaps  with  some  annoyance  also,  for  I 
prefer  to  keep  my  thoughts  to  myself. 

'  Are  you  a  wizard,  then,  as  well  as  a  robber  and  a  murderer? ' 
I  said. 

'  I  am  no  murderer,'  he  replied  ;  '  we  take  no  lives,  if  we  can 
help  it.  Why  should  we,  >ince  wealth  is  our  object,  and  ransoms 
are  more  profitable  than  bloodshed  ?  As  for  being  a  wizard,  I  am 
enough  of  that  to  guess  that  you  two  young  people  are  of  the 
Stroganofs.' 

1  Then  you  are  only  half  a  wizard,'  I  said, '  for  the  boyarishnya 
is  of  the  Krilofs,  though  you  are  right  as  to  me.'  I  do  not  know 
why  I  gave  him  this  information,  unless  it  was  in  the  fond  hope 
of  terrifying  him  by  revealing  into  what  hornets'-nests  he  had 
placed  his  hands  in  meddling  with  us  two;  for  of  course  the 
Stroganofs  and  the  Krilofs  represented  all  the  power  and  wealth 
of  the  district  for  a  hundred  miles  around.  Yermak  flushed  as  I 
made  the  communication ;  but  it  was  clearly  not  terror  that 
moved  him,  but  rather  surprise  and  exultation. 

'Ah!'  he  said,  'good  again!  A  bird  from  each  covey;  this 
is  better  than  I  expected  ! ' 


294  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

'  Is  it  ? '  I  said  haughtily  ;  '  the  Stroganofs  and  Krilofs  are  ill 
folks  to  meddle  with  in  these  parts,  as  even  a  Yermak  may  find ! ' 
Yermak  laughed. 

'  Poor  Yermak ! '  he  cried,  '  thou  must  take  heed  to  thyself ! 
Are  they  all  spitfires  like  you  ? '  he  added,  '  and  like  the  little 
lady  yonder  ? ' 

'  That  you  shall  find  out  for  yourself,'  I  said  haughtily,  re- 
lapsing into  silence.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  was  rather  doubtful  as 
to  how  my  good  uncle  and  brothers  would  proceed  in  the  event  of 
their  desiring  to  release  me  by  force  of  arms,  or  to  chastise  my 
captors  after  I  should  have  been  ransomed.  For  my  relatives 
were  men  of  peace,  and  our  serfs  and  dependents  were  peaceful 
also,  by  circumstance  and  habit ;  for  the  Cossacks  had  never 
before  molested  us,  and  our  commercial  and  agricultural  com- 
munity were  unused  to  the  ways  of  war  and  violence.  Neverthe- 
less, it  was  necessary  to  preserve  a  bold  and  defiant  attitude. 
Perhaps  the  Krilofs  were  more  martial  in  their  ideas  than  my 
Stroganof  relations.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  now  know  that 
Vera  represented  by  far  the  most  martial  spirit  amongst  them 
all. 

Arrived  at  the  Kama's  bank,  Vera  and  I  were  placed  in  a 
small  boat,  one  of  several,  and  conveyed  towards  an  island  in  mid- 
stream. ►Skirting  this  island  and  reaching  the  other  side  of  it,  we 
came  in  sight  of  two  large  gallevs,  hidden  entirely  from  that  bank 
of  the  stream  from  which  we  had  come,  and  into  one  of  these  we 
were  directed  to  climb.  There  was  a  kind  of  pavilion  over  the 
stern  of  the  vessel,  and  into  this  we  were  escorted  by  Yermak 
himself.  A  little  child,  a  girl  of  about  five  years  of  age,  was  run- 
ning about  at  play,  shrieking  with  childish  delight  over  some 
game  in  which  her  mother— a  handsome  Tartar  woman,  gor- 
geously dressed — joined.  The  little  one  stopped  short  as  she 
caught  sight  of  us,  and  stood  silent  and  open-mouthed  to  gaze  at 
us,  and  Yermak  caught  her  up  in  his  arms  to  fondle  and  caress 
her. 


./    BOYAR   OF   THE    TERRIBLE, 


*95 


ClfAITKR    VII. 


A    NKiriT    SWIM. 


Our  stay  on  board  of  Yermak's  galley  was  somewhat  prolonged, 
but  it  would  be  untrue  to  say  that  I  greatly  disliked  my  captivity. 
In  the  first  place,  I  was  constantly  with  Vera,  who,  for  her  part. 
was  not  unhappy  either.  Yermak  was  kind  and  friendly  to  us, 
and  we  were  free  to  walk  about  and  do  what  we  liked  within  the 
limited  area  of  the  galley's  deck  and  pavilion.  We  had  removed 
from  our  position  behind  the  island  to  a  wide,  open  reach  of 
water,  and  were  now  at  anchor  in  the  very  middle  of  the  stream, 
with  nearly  half  a  mile  of  tumultuously  flowing  Kama  between  us 
and  either  shore.  In  releasing  me  of  my  bonds,  Yermak  had 
alluded  to  this  fact,  and  had  said  that  though  he  doubted  not  I 
was  the  kind  of  lad  who  would  swim  as  well  as  most,  I  had, 
nevertheless,  better  not  attempt  to  escape  by  water,  since  his  men 
were  continually  on  the  watch  on  deck ;  and  besides  this,  the 
current  was  dangerous  and  the  stream  wide,  and  it  would  be  mad- 
ness to  attempt  it.  Nothing  should  happen  to  us  if  we  behaved 
ourselves  with  docility,  he  said.  To  which  I  replied  that,  though 
I  could  swim  a  little,  yet  I  had  no  mind  to  be  drowned  or  shot, 
which  answer  seemed  to  satisfy  him  better  than  it  should  have 
pleased  him;  but,  fortunately,  he  could  not  always  read  the 
thoughts  of  my  brain.  Had  he  done  so,  he  would  have  seen  that 
in  my  inner  being  I  was  full  of  exquisite  mirth  to  think  that  any 
one  could  suppose  half  a  mile  of  Kama  water  would  suffice  to 
separate  me  from  the  desire  of  my  heart.  The  Kama  and  I  were 
old  friends,  and  understood  each  other  thoroughly.  If  I  had 
been  alone  I  could  have  escaped  at  any  moment  ;  that  is,  if  there 
had  been  no  one  to  consider  but  myself;  but,  of  course,  there  was 
Vera.  I  suppose  Yermak  delayed  a  few  days  before  applying  to 
our  friends  for  the  price  of  our  freedom,  in  order  thai  our  relatives 
might  become  during  that  period  increasingly  anxious  on  accounl 
of  our  disappearance,  and  the  more  willing  to  pay  when  they 
should  hear  of  our  safety.  At  any  rate,  he  made  do  move  for 
nearly  a  week,  and  my  captivity  began  to  grow  irksome  to  me, 
pleasant  as  it  was  to  be  near  Vera.  Yermak  was  t  he  most  devoted 
of  fathers,  and  took  an  extraordinary  delight  in  his  little  daughter, 
with  whom  this  rough  brigand  would  play,  like  another  child,  for 
an  hour  at  a  time.     To  us  he  was  invariably  kind,  and  loved  to 


296  A  BO\AR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

rally  us,  or  me,  perhaps  I  should  say,  especially,  upon  my  evident 
attachment  to  my  beautiful  princess ;  he  had  a  mind,  he  would 
sometimes  say,  to  get  me  ransomed  first,  because  he  could  then 
assure  himself  of  a  great  price  for  Vera's  freedom,  seeing  that  I 
would  add  my  wealth  to  that  of  her  own  folk,  in  order  to  recover 
her.  This  threat  of  Yermak's,  though  intended,  I  believe,  in 
jest,  greatly  incensed  and  alarmed  me,  and  I  determined  that 
under  no  circumstances  would  I  consent  to  obtain  my  freedom  if 
I  must  leave  Vera  in  captivity.  Better  to  attempt  escape  to- 
gether than  submit  to  separation,  even  though  escape  appeared 
a  difficult,  if  not  an  impossible  matter. 

Our  opportunity  came  at  the  end  of  a  week.  One  evening 
Yermak  left  the  galley,  taking  an  escort  of  a  few  armed  men,  in 
order,  as  he  said,  to  journey  to  Perm,  that  he  might  settle  with 
my  relatives  for  my  release.  The  men  left  on  deck  as  sentinels 
took  advantage  of  the  captain's  absence  to  drink  heavily.  It  was 
a  dark  night ;  everything  was  propitious  for  an  attempt,  and  I 
whispered  my  plan  to  Vera  as  we  leant  together  over  the  side  of 
the  barge  and  watched  the  dark  water  flow  by  beneath  us. 

1  Can  you  swim,  Vera  ? '  I  said. 

i  Of  course,'  said  Vera,  scornfully ;  '  what  a  question  for  a 
Kama-bred  girl ! ' 

'  I  thought  so,'  I  replied ;  '  but  you  may  need  to  be  a  good 

swimmer  indeed  to-night,  for  listen '  and  I  sketched  out  to 

her  my  plan  of  escape  as  I  had  evolved  it.  I  should  watch  my 
opportunity  when  these  drinking  and  brawling  fellows  were  not 
looking  out,  and  drop  quietly  into  the  stream,  swimming  straight 
to  the  shore.  There  I  should  secure  the  small  boat  left  by  some 
of  Yermak's  men  in  the  reeds,  and  row  softly  back.  When  I  sig- 
nalled to  her  by  gently  whistling  she  must  drop  into  the  water 
and  swim  a  few  yards  down-stream,  when  I  would  pick  her  up. 

It  was  a  foolhardy  enterprise  at  the  best,  especially  when  one 
considers  that  these  brigands  intended  us  no  injury,  and  that  our 
liberty  could  only  be  a  matter  of  a  few  days  at  most.  But  I  was 
always  of  that  kind  of  disposition,  that  if  there  were  two  ways  of 
attaining  the  same  object,  one  safe  and  humdrum  and  the  other 
dangerous  and  adventurous,  I  would  certainly  choose  the  alterna- 
tive which  presented  the,  to  me,  fascinating  advantage  of  personal 
risk. 

Vera,  I  found,  was  entirely  of  my  way  of  thinking.  When  I 
revealed  my  plan  to  her,  she  seized  my  arm  in  her  hands  and 
pressed  it. 


A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 


297 


1  Sasha,'  she  whispered,  this  being  the  familiar  form  of  my 
name,  Alexander,  '  it  is  splendid ;  I  should  die  for  shame  to  be 
bought  out  of  this  adventure ;  let  us  escape  before  Yermak 
returns  to  cart  us  back  to  our  homes  like  strayed  sheep!' 

Here  was  spirit  indeed !     A  girl  after  my  own  heart ! 

1  But  aren't  you  afraid  of  this  wide  stream,'  I  said,  '  and  the 
tremendous  current  that  runs  just  here  ?  ' 

I  knew  very  well  she  was  no  more  afraid  of  it  than  I,  but  I 
loved  to  see  her  eyes  flash  and  to  hear  the  delicious  scorn  in  her 
voice  as  she  repudiated  the  idea  of  such  a  thing. 

So  all  was  settled  between  us,  and  half  an  hour  later,  the 
moon  having  obligingly  retired  behind  a  cloud,  and  the  sentinels 
being  extremely  busy  over  their  rye-brandy  and  their  cards,  I 
prepared  myself  for  departure,  slipping  off  my  long  boots,  awk- 
ward for  swimming  in,  and  divesting  myself  also  of  my  skirted 
kaftan. 

1  Farewell  for  the  present,  Vera,'  I  said,  taking  her  hand  in 
the  darkness  and  pressing  it.  Then  Vera  surprised  me.  She 
clung  to  me  tightly. 

'  Are  you  sure  of  yourself,  Sasha  ? '  she  whispered,  '  are  you 
sure  of  yourself?  It  is  very  dark  and  a  long  swim  to  shore.  Let 
me  swim  with  you — we  can  encourage  each  other !  I  could  feel 
her  trembling  ;  it  was  the  first  time  I  had  known  her  betray  any 
kind  of  nervousness,  and,  as  I  say,  it  surprised  me,  for  I  did  not 
then  realise  that,  in  this  unfamiliar  display  of  heart-sinking,  Vera 
had  revealed  to  me  a  great  and  most  beautiful  secret. 

'  I  am  very  sure  indeed,  Vera,'  I  said,  '  and  you  may  be  jusl 
as  sure  of  me  as  I  am  of  myself;  I  have  swum  right  across  the 
Kama  many  and  many  a  time.' 

1  Go,  then,'  she  said,  '  go  at  once,  and  God  be  with  you  ! ' 

Id  another  moment  I  had  lowered  myself  over  the  side  and 
dropped  quietly  into  the  stream. 

I  did  not  attempt  to  cross  in  a  straight  line,  but  allowed  the 
current  to  carry  me  considerably  downwards.  The  night  was  hot, 
and  the  touch  of  the  cool  water  was  delicious,  and  my  spirits 
were  high  and  buoyant  as  I  struck  out  and  sped  gaily  over  the 
bosom  of  the  friendly  Kama.  It  was  a  long  swim,  and  swimming 
seems  twice  as  far  when  it  is  dark  and  the  object  towards  which 
one  is  moving  is  invisible.  Once  or  twice  I  could  not  heip  won- 
dering whether  I  had  not,  somehow,  swum  round  in  a  half-circle, 
or  missed  my  way  in  some  other  manner,  so  long  did  the  distance 
appear  to  me ;  but  eventually  my  hands  struck  against  reeds,  and 
I  knew  that  I  had  at  length  reached  the  shore  or  nearly  so. 


29.8  A   BO  YAK   OB   THE    TERRIBLE. 

It  was  a  matter  of  some  difficulty  to  find  the  boat  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  I  was  almost  despairing  of  ever  succeeding  in  my 
search,  when  suddenly  the  moon  came  out,  and  by  its  light  I 
soon  saw  the  little  craft  nestling  among  the  reeds.  The  same 
spell  of  moonlight  showed  me  the  galley  floating  like  a  black 
swan  on  the  dancing  silver-tipped  wavelets,  and  I  thought  of 
Vera  standing  there,  and  waiting  anxiously  by  the  bulwark ;  and 
I  hastened  to  get  the  boat  off  and  row  away  to  pick  her  up  with- 
out further  delay. 

The  moon  retired  once  more  into  the  seclusion  of  a  scudding 
cloud,  and  I  was  obliged  to  steer  by  sound  only,  for  I  could  no 
longer  see  the  galley.  The  Cossacks  on  board,  however,  were  still 
busy  over  their  wine  and  their  brawling,  and  there  was  plenty  of 
noise  to  guide  myself  by. 

Softly  and  cautiously  I  plied  my  oars  until  I  judged  that  I  was 
about  thirty  or  forty  yards  from  the  galley,  and  below  it  by  the 
current  of  the  river.  Then  I  stopped  and  listened  for  a  moment, 
and  was  in  the  act  of  posing  my  lips  to  whistle  out  my  pre- 
arranged signal  to  Vera,  when  unluckily  the  moon  once  again 
shouldered  herself  free  of  her  cloud  tormentors,  and  shone  out 
fully  and  broadly  over  the  water,  in  such  a  manner  that  my  boat 
and  I  lay  in  the  full  pathway  of  her  bright  beams. 

At  the  same  instant  some  one  cried  '  Karaool !  who  goes 
there  ?  '  I  gave  no  reply,  but  hid  myself  as  much  as  possible  by 
bending  my  head  and  subsiding  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

One  of  the  drunken  sentries  then  fired  a  shot,  which  went  I 
know  not  whither ;  it  did  not  strike  me  or  the  boat. 

Nevertheless,  I  thought,  if  it  was  to  be  a  matter  of  shooting 
and  perhaps  pursuing,  I  would  rather  be  out  of  the  boat  than  in 
it,  and  I  lost  no  time  in  slipping  once  more  into  the  water. 
They  would  never  see  my  head  in  the  moonlight,  I  knew, 
especially  if  I  dived  occasionally  beneath  the  surface. 

There  was  a  boat  continually  floating  by  the  side  of  the  galley, 
with  a  man  always  in  it,  and  into  this  boat  I  saw  several  men 
now  scramble  and  start  in  pursuit  of  my  own  craft.  This  was 
propitious  for  my  purpose,  which  was  to  return  at  once  and 
unperceived  to  the  galley  ;  and  in  another  moment  or  two  I  had 
safely  covered  the  distance  that  lay  between  me  and  the  large 
vessel,  and  was  scrambling  up  the  side. 

I  found  the  deck  nearly  deserted — a  few  men  standing  in  a 
group  in  the  bows  looking  eagerly  after  the  boat  which  had 
started  in  pursuit  of  me.     Most  of  the  crew  had  staggered  away 


A  BOYAR   OS   THE    TERRIBLE.  »99 

to  sleep,  and  the  rest  were  witl i  Yermak  ashore,  or  else  joining 
in  the  pursuit  of  my  unworthy  self.  But  I  soon  discovered  Vera 
leaning  over  the  side,  and  straining  her  eyes  in  the  direction  in 
which  lay  the  two  boats,  though  there  was  nothing  now  to  be 
seen,  for  the  moon  had  disappeared  and  left  a  dark  world  behind 
her.  To  my  surprise,  my  princess  was  in  tears.  I  touched  her 
arm,  and  Vera  started  round. 

She  gazed  at  me  for  an  instant  as  though  I  were  a  ghost. 
Then  she  suddenly  seized  me  in  her  arms  with  a  cry  of  joy, 
clasping  her  hands  tightly  about  my  neck  and  kissing  me 
repeatedly,  wet  and  dripping  as  I  was.  I  was  amazed  at  this 
demonstration,  which  was  unlike  Vera,  and  unexpected;  but  the 
amazement  was  a  pleasurable  sentiment. 

'  I  thought  they  had  shot  you,  and  that  I  should  never  see 
you  again,'  she  said.  '  Oh,  Sasha,  what  should  I  have  done 
then  ? ' 

I  had  not  sense  enough  to  say  anything,  but  I  had  enough  to 
repay  Vera's  caresses  with  interest. 

'  And  you  came  back,  though  you  might  have  escaped,'  she 
added  ;  '  it  would  have  been  easy  for  you  to  swim  ashore  instead 
of  returning  for  me  ;  but  perhaps  you  are  weary  ?  ' 
•  Not  an  atom,'  I  said,  truthfully  enough. 
'  Then  let  us  swim  together — oh,  do  let  us  ! '  she  entreated. 
I  shook  my  head.     '  It  is  too  dangerous,  Vera,'  I  said,  '  now 
that  they  are  on  the  alert ;  and  the  moon  is  in  a  fickle  mood ; 
and   the   swim  is  a  long   one,    longer   than    I    thought.'     Vera 
stamped  her  foot  angrily. 

'  Say  at  once  that  you  are  afraid,'  she  said. 
'  Very  well,  then,  I  am  afraid,'  I  said. 

'Then  you  are  a  coward,  and  I  hate  cowards,'  she  hissed, 
'  and — and  I  wish  I  had  not  kissed  you  just  now ;  I  meant 
nothing  by  it ! ' 

I  had  no  reply  ready  and  remained  silent. 
'And  now,  since  you  refuse  to  accompany  me,  I  am  going   to 
swim  alone,'  continued  Vera. 
'  You  shall  not,'  I  said. 
'And  why  not  ?  '  Bhe  said  haughtily. 

' Because  I  forbid  you  and  shall  not  allow  it,'  I  said.  I  knew 
very  well  that  a  display  of  masterfulness  would  satisfy  Vera  better 
than  anything  else  in  her  then  mood,  and  it  did.  She  said 
nothing,  but  leaned  and  stared  at  the  water  silently,  I  standing 
as  silently  at  her  side.  Presently  she  took  my  hand  and  kissed 
it,  and  retired  into  the  pavilion. 


3oo  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

And  I,  foolish  lad  that  I  was,  felt  a  glow  of  gratified  vanity 
and  happiness  because  I  knew  that  I  had  made  a  conquest  of  this 
queenly  maiden  of  fifteen  summers,  and  that  henceforward  she 
was  my  own,  body,  soul,  and  spirit. 

The  next  day  Yermak  returned,  not  in  the  best  of  humours. 
He  had  interviewed  my  uncle,  and  brought  back  a  low  opinion  of 
my  commercial-minded  relative.  I  fancy  the  latter  had  threatened 
and  lectured  the  Cossack  brigand,  making  it  clear  to  him  that  he 
thought  ill  of  his  nefarious  calling  ;  and  it  is  certain  that  he 
would  not  listen  to  Yermak's  outrageous  demands  for  my  ransom. 
According  to  Yermak's  version  of  my  uncle's  remarks,  he  is 
supposed  to  have  said  that  if  Yermak  took  me  and  kept  me 
altogether,  it  would  be  no  great  loss  to  the  family,  whereas  I 
might  be  an  acquisition  to  the  brigand  troop ;  but  that,  since  I 
was  the  son  of  his  elder  brother,  he  supposed  he  must  make 
some  kind  of  offer  for  my  liberty,  and  the  offer — according  to 
Yermak — was  a  very  inadequate  one  indeed. 

I  have  said  that  Yermak  returned  in  bad  humour,  and  on 
this  first  evening  after  his  journey  to  Perm  he  took  occasion 
to  show  that,  though  by  nature  a  kind-hearted  and  agreeable 
man,  he  was  capable  of  displaying  at  times  great  anger  and 
ferocity,  if  irritated  by  those  in  his  service.  When  he  heard 
of  the  drunkenness  and  brawling  of  his  men  in  his  absence, 
of  which  I  conclude  he  learned  from  his  wife,  he  flew  forth- 
with into  a  fit  of  passion,  and  severely  punished  several  of 
the  offenders,  and  especially  one  named  Hassan,  whom  he 
flogged  savagely  with  the  knoot,  wielding  that  barbarous 
instrument  with  his  own  hand,  and  causing  poor  Hassan  to 
retire  blubbering  and  bleeding  to  the  hold,  where  the  men 
slept  as  best  they  could  among  the  casks  and  lumber  with  which 
it  was  filled.  It  was  not  a  pleasant  sight  to  see  the  knoot  laid 
on  by  Yermak's  strong  arm,  and  seeing  the  evil  mood  which 
possessed  the  chieftain  on  this  day  of  his  return,  I  was  glad 
indeed  that  he  had  not  been  informed  of  my  attempted  escape, 
of  which,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  no  one  knew  except  Vera ;  unless, 
indeed,  it  was  Yermak's  beautiful  and  gentle  wife,  who  certainly 
observed  my  dripping  garments  and  must  have  formed  some 
opinion  as  to  the  cause  of  my  evident  dampness  ;  but  who,  if  she 
guessed  it,  did  not  betray  me. 


A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  301 

I  IIA1TKR    VIII. 

FREEDOM. 

And  now  happened  a  very  small  matter,  from  which  proceeded 
great  results.  It  is  wonderful  from  how  tiny  a  spark,  sometimes, 
the  most  all-consuming  conflagration  will  originate — smouldering, 
perhaps,  hidden  and  unnoticed  for  a  long  while  ere  it  bursts  out 
in  all  its  splendour  and  might. 

On  the  morning  after  Yermak's  return  I  was  on  deck  early 
while  the  chief  still  slept,  for  I  could  not  rest  by  reason  of  the 
excitement  of  the  previous  evening.  The  sun  was  up  and  the 
morning  lovely,  and  the  Kama  looked  most  inviting  for  a  swim — 
her  wavelets  dancing  and  bobbing  bewitchingly  in  the  sun's 
rays.  Little  Aleena,  Yermak's  tiny  daughter,  commonly  called 
Aleenooshka,  was  playing  about  outside  the  pavilion  within  which 
her  parents  still  reposed.  I  played  with  the  child  for  a  while 
until  I  tired  of  it,  after  which  I  lay  down  to  rest  and  dream  until 
Vera  should  appear  to  relieve  my  dulness ;  for  it  had  come  to 
this,  that  until  Vera  appeared,  day  did  not  begin,  for  me  ! 

The  child  Aleenooshka  continued  to  play  about  the  deserted 
deck,  and  I,  perhaps,  fell  asleep  behind  the  chest  against  which  I 
lav.  Suddenly  I  was  aroused  by  a  scream  from  Aleenooshka,  and 
then  I  saw  a  sight  which  froze  my  blood  for  a  moment  and  pre- 
vented me  from  moving  a  finger. 

I  -aw  Hassan  scrambling  out  of  the  hold,  looking  like  a  devil, 
with  his  eves  fixed  upon  the  little  one,  who  recoiled  in  terror 
from  him.  In  one  moment  he  had  seized  her,  and  placing  one 
hand  upon  her  mouth  to  stifle  any  sound  she  might  make,  he 
swung  her  high  in  the  air  and  launched  her  out  into  mid-stream, 
where  she  struck  the  water  with  a  splash  and  disappeared. 

If  Aleenooshka  had  been  the  most  worthless  of  puppies.  I 
should  have  made  this  incident  an  excuse  for  a  plunge  into  my 
beloved  Kama  and  a  pleasant  morning  swim;  it  was  no  <ii-- 
pleasing  or  dangerous  task  for  me  to  swim  after  her.  a:, 
sequently  no  credit  to  me ;  therefore  it  is  not  for  the  pleasure  of 
sounding  my  own  praises  that  I  record  my  action.  All  that  I 
did  was  to  plunge  head  first  from  the  galley,  .-trike  out  for 
the  spot  where  one  little  arm  had  reappeared,  as  though  in 
piteous  entreaty  for  aid,  seize  the  child,  and  carry  her  back 
spluttering  and  screaming  to  the  barge — and  yet  this  little  action 
VOL.  XXVIII.    NO.  CLXV.  X 


3o2  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

on   my  part  was,  under  Providence,  the  primary  cause  of  the 
acquisition  to  Russia  of  the  whole  of  Siberia. 

How  this  great  result  proceeded  from  so  slight  a  cause  it  will 
be  my  task  to  show  in  the  course  of  these  records. 

But  the  first  link  in  the  chain  which  connects  the  great  event 
with  the  small  lay  in  the  deep  gratitude  which  Yermak 
undoubtedly  felt  for  the  service  I  had  rendered  him  in  saving  his 
little  one  from  death.  He  embraced  me  and  wept  over  his  child 
and  over  me — she  was  none  the  worse  for  her  ducking,  though 
Hassan's  cruel  hands  left  bruise-marks  upon  her  delicate  throat 
and  limbs  for  some  time  after — and  finally  he  solemnly  vowed  by 
ail  the  Christian  Saints  as  well  as  by  Mahomet  that  there  was 
nothing  in  this  world  that  he  would  not  give  or  do  for  me,  either 
now  or  at  any  future  time,  presenting  me  with  a  ring  from  his 
finger  in  token  of  his  promises,  and  both  Vera  and  me  with  our 
freedom  as  an  earnest  of  the  sincerity  of  the  same. 

As  for  Hassan,  he  had  taken  the  opportunity  of  the  agitation 
prevailing  during  those  moments  when  Aleenooshka  was  restored 
to  her  mother's  arms,  and  Yermak  with  all  his  men  had  crowded 
around  her  and  around  me,  to  drop  quietly  into  the  water  and 
swim  away  to  the  shore.  By  the  time  that  Yermak  had  had 
leisure  to  learn  of  his  villainy,  he  was  observed  wading  out  of  the 
reeds  half  a  mile  away,  and  in  another  moment  had  disappeared 
in  the  forest ;  and  though  Yermak,  in  his  fury  and  vengeful 
passion,  sent  armed  men  to  overtake  and  cut  him  in  pieces,  the 
party  returned  without  having  caught  the  miscreant. 

And  so  Vera  and  I  found  ourselves  at  liberty  to  depart  after  a 
term  of  captivity  lasting  for  a  little  over  a  week ;  and  depart  we 
did  after  many  cordial  expressions  of  gratitude  from  Yermak,  who 
escorted  us  part  of  the  way  homewards.  When  he  took  his  leave 
of  us  he  repeated  his  promise  to  stand  my  friend  in  small  things 
or  great,  whenever  called  upon  by  me  to  do  so ;  and  though  at 
the  time  I  thought  little  of  his  promise — for  how,  I  reflected,  was 
this  brigand  chief  to  be  of  any  service  to  a  Stroganof,  excepting 
in  so  far  as  to  exempt  his  lands  and  possessions  from  pillage  ? — 
yet  now,  in  my  age,  I  am  ready  and  happy  to  acknowledge  that 
this  great  man  has  found  opportunity  to  redeem  his  pledge  in  a 
manner  undreamed  of — grandly,  imperially,  magnificently;  having 
rendered  such  services,  through  me  and  mine,  to  my  beloved 
master  as  must  for  ever  dwarf  the  achievements  of  future  pioneers 
of  Russian  greatness;  unless,  indeed,  in  future  ages  there  rise  up 
a  second  Yermak  as  well  as  a  second  Siberia  to  be  conquered — 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE,  303 

the  former  of  which  contingencies  is  perhaps  as  improbable  as  the 
latter. 

My  interview  with  my  uncle  was  amusing,  because  I. 
still  under  the  impression  that  a  huge  sum  of  money  was  payable 
for  my  release,  and  his  relief  of  mind  to  hear  that  this  obliga- 
tion had  been  remitted  was  quite  comical.  My  brothers  were 
glad  to  see  me  safely  restored  to  freedom  and  the  comforts  of 
home,  though  it  had  not  occurred  either  to  them  or  to  my  uncle 
to  attempt  my  release  by  force  of  arms.  Serfs  had,  indeed,  been 
sent  to  scour  the  woods  and  river  banks  for  me,  and  some  of 
these  had  brought  in  news  of  the  dreaded  presence  of  Yermak's 
pirate-galleys;  but  with  this  discovery  the  search  for  me  had 
ended,  since  war  and  violence  were  strangers  to  the  very  imagi- 
nation of  my  commercial  relatives,  and  they  would  have  as  soon 
thought  of  organising  a  campaign  against  the  moon  as  of  risking 
their  skins  in  an  attack  upon  Yermak.  Still,  they  were  honestly 
glad  to  see  me,  and  glad,  too,  to  hear  that  I  had  had  the  good 
fortune  to  gain  the  friendship  of  the  great  Cossack  brigand  ;  for 
our  home  and  our  possessions  were  now  safe  from  molestation, 
at  all  events:  'and  who  knows,'  added  my  uncle,  '  if  the  Grand 
Duke  keeps  his  promise,  now  that  Shuisky  is  dead,  and  empowers 
me  to  develop  the  Stroganof  estate  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Urals,  this  Yermak  may  be  made  of  some  use  vet,  Sasha!  I 
may  yet  employ  both  you  and  him  in  an  enterprise  that  would,  I 
think,  be  more  agreeable  to  you  than  staying  at  home.' 

I  only  laughed  at  my  uncle's  prophetic  utterance,  thinking  no 
more  of  it  than  this  :  that  my  good  relative  little  guessed  how 
strong  a  reason  I  had  at  present  for  preferring  to  stay  at  home 
and  within  touch  of  Mblebsk  ;  for  the  prophecy  stirred  no  answering 
wave  of  prevision  in  my  heart ;  and,  if  the  truth  be  known,  I  do 
not  think  that  at  this  time  I  either  expected  or  desired  ever  10 
see  my  friend  Yermak  again,  or  to  call  upon  him  to  fulfil  what  I 
regarded  as  an  empty  and  valueless  promise,  made  in  the  heat  and 
flush  of  gratitude. 

One  little  circumstance  surprised  me  on  my  return  home  from 
captivity.  I  had  looked  upon  old  Daniel,  my  splendid  0 
pony,  as  lost.  He  had  been  led  away  when  we  were  both  capl  ored, 
and  taken  I  knew  not  whither,  but  probably  herded  with  1 
of  Yermak's  ill-gotten  flocks  and  droves.  Vet  one  of  the  first 
objects  my  eyes  rested  upon  on  visiting  the  yard  at  home  after 
my  return,  was  old  Daniel  himself,  large  as  life,  and  as  pleased 
to  see  me  as  I  was  to  see  him.     He  came  bucketting  up  to  me 

x  2 


304  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

and  laid  his  nose  in  my  hand,  very  happy  to  behold  his  lost 
master;  but,  unfortunately,  speech  was  just  the  one  and  only 
accomplishment  Daniel  could  never  quite  acquire,  and  therefore 
I  do  not  know  the  exact  process  by  which  Daniel  rid  himself 
of  his  captors  and  returned  home ;  these  things  are  wrapped  for 
ever  in  the  darkness  of  the  impenetrable.  But  Daniel  probably 
waited.  I  should  say,  until  some  stranger  tried  to  ride  him,  and 
then  removed  that  stranger  in  one  of  several  ways  Daniel  knew 
of — hung  him  up  on  the  bough  of  a  tree,  perhaps,  or  shot  him 
suddenly  into  the  Kama — and  went  home. 

Yermak  and  his  galleys  disappeared  shortly  afterwards  ;  having 
nothing  to  gain  in  our  part  of  the  world,  where  we  and  the 
Krilofs  were  the  only  families  seriously  worth  plundering,  it  was 
useless  for  them  to  stay  here ;  and  I  saw  no  more  of  Yermak  for 
two  or  three  years,  though  I  continued  to  wear  the  ring  he  gave 
me,  which  was  a  valuable  trinket,  besides  serving  to  remind  me  of 
an  entertaining  adventure.  During  those  two  or  three  years  my 
intimacy  with  my  princess  ripened  and  developed.  We  quarrelled 
occasionally,  but  our  devotion  to  each  other  was  very  great, 
nevertheless,  and  we  never  fell  out  for  long.  My  quarrels  with 
her  brothers  were  still  more  frequent,  and  with  them  I  came  many 
times  to  blows.  There  was  spirit  in  these  Krilofs,  and  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  fight  with  them,  because  I  knew  that  even  if  worsted, 
they  would  still  be  ready  to  try  conclusions  the  next  time 
we  happened  to  meet.  They  were  against  my  intimacy  with  Vera, 
but  not,  as  they  themselves  informed  me,  on  personal  grounds. 
My  fault  lay  in  being  a  Stroganof,  and  though  I  did  my  best  on 
every  possible  occasion  to  prove  to  them  that  the  Stroganofs  were 
better  men  than  the  Krilofs  (though  sometimes  I  was  worsted)  I 
could  never  convince  them  of  the  fact. 

Needless  to  say,  their  opposition  had  not  the  slightest  effect 
upon  either  Vera  or  myself.  I  am  not  modest  enough  to  pretend 
that  my  own  attractions  were  not  the  principal  rock  upon  which 
was  built  the  edifice  of  Vera's  love  for  me  ;  but  I  firmly  believe 
that  even  if  this  had  not  been  the  case,  and  if  I  had  nevertheless 
courted  her  in  despite  of  her  brothers,  their  opposition  would 
have  sufficed  to  throw  her  into  my  arms ;  for  Vera  possessed  all 
the  combative  spirit  of  her  brothers,  tenfold  more  intensified 
than  theirs — a  very  splendid  spirit  was  that  of  my  princess,  and 
her  courage  surpassed  the  courage  of  women,  though  her  womanly 
tenderness,  at  opportunity,  yielded  not  an  atom  to  the  gentlest  of 
them. 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  305 

And  so,  in  opposition,  and  in  spite  of  opposition,  our  affection 
grew  and  developed  during  those  two  years,  while  I,  and  she  also, 
passed  from  our  fifteenth  to  our  seventeenth  summers;  and  in  that 
time  my  body  found  toccasion  to  enlarge  itself  in  such  a  manner 
that  at  the  end  of  tie  thirty  months  I  was,  to  all  appearances,  a 
full-grown  man,  and  large  at  that — not  so  very  tall,  but  broad 
and  very  strong  in  the  limb  and  muscle  ;  and  as  for  Vera,  assuredly 
never  maiden  breathed  more  beautiful  or  more  haughty  than  my 
princess,  nor  yet  more  bewitching.  And  then,  at  the  end  of  that 
period,  there  came  to  us  at  Perm  whispers  from  Moscow  of  strange 
doings  at  Court — indications  that  the  young  eagle  Ivan  was 
fluttering  his  wings  and  growing  restless ;  hints  that  he  was 
showing  character,  and  had  startled  continually  his  advisers,  with 
new  and  immense  schemes  and  projects  of  aggrandisement  and 
ambition.  "We  were  to  have,  rumour  said,  a  great  king  over  us, 
who  should  rule  us  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  live  to  be  the  terror  of 
the  enemies  of  Russia,  and  of  Europe  generally. 

He  had  already  laid  claim  to  and  adopted  the  title  of  Cresar 
or  Tsar,  to  which  he  declared  himself  entitled  (as  descended,  on 
the  mother's  side,  from  the  Emperors  of  the  Byzantine  line),  and 
was  now  no  longer  to  be  known  as  Grand  Duke  of  Moscow,  but  as 
Tsar  of  Russia — a  determination  which  pleased  all  classes  of  the 
community,  priests,  boyars,  and  people. 

Then  followed  more  news — news  which  did  not  at  first  greatly 
interest  us,  not  specially  so,  I  mean,  though  afterwards  it  proved 
of  the  greatest  moment  to  us  and  pregnant  with  immense  con- 
sequences. The  young  Tsar,  who  was  about  my  age,  scarcely 
seventeen,  expressed  his  intention  of  being  married.  He  thought, 
the  proclamation  ran,  of  taking  a  wife  from  one  of  the  European 
Courts,  and  would  look  about  him  for  a  suitable  consort.  But 
presently  news  came  of  a  second  proclamation,  to  the  effect  that 
Ivan  had  reconsidered  the  matter  of  his  marriage,  and  that,  rather 
than  risk  uniting  himself  with  a  princess  who  spoke  in  a  different 
tongue,  and  worshipped  God  in  a  different  manner,  from  his 
own — for  quarrels  and  bickerings  were  certain  to  result  from  such 
a  marriage,  and  possible  trouble  to  the  realm — he  had  deter- 
mined to  seek  a  wife  from  among  the  daughters  of  his  own 
boyars,  who,  he  doubted  not,  were  to  the  full  as  beautiful  and  as 
charming  as  the  fairest  of  foreign  princesses.  And  then  Vera 
and  I  laughingly  wondered  who  would  be  the  fortunate  boyarish- 
nya  among  the  acquaintances  of  the  young  Tsar. 


306  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

'  Probably  he  is  in  love  already,'  said  Vera,  '  and  that  is  why 
the  foreign  princesses  are  to  be  disappointed  after  all ! ' 

'  One  would  think  he  had  seen  you,  that  he  issued  the  second 
proclamation,'  I  said  laughingly.  'It's  a  gooi  thing  he  has  not, 
Vera ! ' 

'  No  such  luck  for  me  !  '  said  Vera  saucily,  and  laughed  too. 

But  on  the  next  day  I  received  a  message  from  Vera  to  ride 
over  and  see  her  at  once,  upon  a  most  important  matter,  and  from 
the  receipt  of  that  message  my  life-troubles  began. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

AN   IMPERIAL    PROCLAMATION. 


I  rode  straight  to  Molebsk,  the  winter  residence  of  the  Krilofs, 
for  it  was  now  the  cold  season ;  and  though  the  distance  is  at 
least  eighty  miles,  old  Daniel  accomplished  the  journey  easily  in 
a  day.  I  demanded  admittance  boldly  at  the  front  entrance  to 
the  Krilof  mansion ;  for  it  had  come  to  this,  that  the  young 
Krilofs  had  given  up  as  a  hopeless  task  the  attempt  to  keep  me 
away,  for  I  persisted  in  coming  when  I  pleased  in  spite  of  their 
opposition. 

Vera  received  me  joyfully,  but  I  could  see  that  something  had 
occurred  to  agitate  her,  and  I  bade  her  tell  me  immediately  what 
had  happened.  I  imagined  she  would  tell  me  of  some  more  than 
usually  violent  quarrel  with  her  brothers  about  myself,  and  was 
prepared,  at  a  word  from  her,  to  go  in  search  of  those  young  men 
and  bring  them  to  reason,  one  by  one,  with  my  riding-whip  ;  for 
by  this  time  I  had  far  outgrown  them  all  in  strength,  and  could 
do  as  I  liked  with  the  pugnacious  but  insignificant  weaklings. 

But  Vera  had  a  different  kind  of  communication  to  make. 

'  It  is  this  marriage  of  the  young  Tsar's  ! '  she  said. 

I  burst  out  laughing. 

'  But  surely,  Vera,  you  have  not  sent  for  me  to  talk  over  the 
Tsar's  affairs  ! '  I  cried.  '  If  so,  this  is  a  compliment  indeed,  my 
soul ;  since  you  must  have  longed  much  to  see  me  to  have  sent 
for  me  upon  so  flimsy  a  pretext ! ' 

'  I  am  always  longing  to  see  you,'  said  Vera  simply  ;  '  what 
else  have  I  in  life  ?  But  it  seems  I  shall  not  see  you,  my  Sasha, 
for  many  months  after  this  day.' 


A   BOYAR    01    THE    TERRIBLE 


jc  j 


Then  my  laughter  died  out,  and  I  was  serious  enough  as  I 
asked  the  girl  what  she  meant. 

'  Kead  this  ! '  she  said,  and  handed  me  a  document.  This 
was  a  copy  of  a  proclamation,  the  third  within  a  few  months  or 
weeks  from  his  Highness  the  Tsar,  and  set  forth  that  in  view  of 
his  approaching  marriage,  Ivan  now  called  upon  his  faithful  boyars 
in  every  quarter  of  his  dominions  to  send  their  marriageable 
daughters  to  the  nearest  centre,  in  order  that  his  Majesty's 
committee  of  selection  might  choose  out  those  worthy  of  being 
sent  to  Moscow  for  the  personal  inspection  and  final  selection  of 
the  Imperial  Bridegroom  himself. 

A  list  was  appended,  containing  the  names  of  all  those  boyars 
who  lived  in  our  district,  with  the  information  that  the  centre  to 
which  their  daughters  should  be  sent  by  a  given  date  was  Viatka, 
a  large  town  on  the  river  of  the  same  name,  which  is  a  confluent 
of  our  own  Kama. 

Then  followed  a  recital  of  the  pains  and  penalties  which  would 
result  if  any  boyar  should  presume  to  run  counter  to  the  expressed 
will  of  the  Tsar  by  withholding,  for  any  cause,  his  daughter  from 
the  preliminary  inspection  and  census  to  take  place  in  the  various 
central  towns  specified. 

When  I  had  spelled  out  this  document,  I  was  inclined,  at  the 
first  impression,  to  pass  the  matter  off  with  a  laugh;  but  on  con- 
sideration it  appeared  to  me  that,  willing  as  I  might  be  to  risk 
the  displeasure  of  the  sovereign  on  my  own  account  (for  I  was 
personally  acquainted  with  Ivan,  as  has  been  shown,  and  flattered 
myself  that  much  would  be  tolerated  and  forgiven  in  me  which 
might  seriously  exasperate  in  others),  yet  it  would  not  be  well 
to  subject  Vera  to  the  Tsar's  passion.  I  suppose  my  thoughts 
reflected  themselves  in  my  face,  for  Vera  said,  when  I  had  finished 
reading:  'I  see  you  consider  this  very  serious,  and  so  do  I.  Of 
course  I  shall  have  to  go  to  Viatka.' 

'I  must  think  it  over,'  I  said  hoarsely  ;  '  Viatka  would  be  bad 
enough ;  but  of  course  the  committee  will  send  you  on  to 
Moscow ' 

'  It  may  not  come,  to  that ! '  said  Vera. 

'  ( )f  course  they  will,'  I  replied  ;  '  look  in  your  glass.'  Vera 
blushed  and  said  nothing. 

'And  supposing  you  went  to  Moscow,  and  the  Tsar  chose 
you — what  then  ?  '  I  continued. 

'Oh,  I  had  not  even  contemplated  that  !  '  Baid  Vera.     '  I  was 


3o3  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

only  thinking  of  the  long  journeys  and  delays — and — and — our 
separation.' 

'  That  would  be  bad,  but  the  other  would  be  worse,'  I  said. 

'  Why  so  ? '  she  asked,  as  though  surprised. 

'  Because  if  Ivan  chose  you  from  among  them  all — of  which 
there  would  be  great  danger — our  separation  would  be  for  ever.' 

'Again,  why  so?'  she  said,  frowning  and  looking  her 
haughtiest. 

'  The  Tsar's  word  is  the  law,'  I  explained.  '  No  maiden  could 
or  would  refuse  to  obey  him  in  such  a  matter.' 

'  Then  let  me  tell  you,'  said  Vera,  flashing  her  eyes,  and  looking 
like  a  queen  (I  could  not  help  thinking  what  a  splendid  Tsaritsa 
she  would  make,  if  Ivan  were  indeed  to  choose  her  for  his 
consort !),  '  let  me  tell  you  that  I  shall  marry  whom  I  please,  if 
I  marry  at  all,  though  twenty  thousand  Grand  Dukes  and  boy- 
Tsars  bid  me  wed  them.' 

I  took  Vera's  hand  and  endeavoured  to  soothe  her,  but  she 
shook  me  off.     Then  an  idea  struck  me. 

'  Vera,'  I  said,  '  there  is  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  if  we  could 
only  find  it.' 

'  What  is  it  ?  '  she  asked. 

'  We  could  be  married  at  once,  before  the  day  you  are  due  at 
Viatka.' 

'  Yes,'  said  Vera  simply ;  '  there  is  that  way ;  I  thought  of  it.' 

My  heart  bounded  with  joy  ;  good  was  about  to  come  out  of 
this  threatened  evil !     But  Vera  somewhat  damped  my  ecstasy. 

'  But  neither  your  folk  nor  mine  would  hear  of  it,'  she  said  ; 
'  for  besides  all  the  reasons  against  it  which  have  been  advanced 
so  often  before,  there  is  now  this,  that  both  families  would  cer- 
tainly get  into  deep  trouble.' 

This  was  obviously  true.  The  young  Tsar's  method  of  dealing 
with  refractory  boyars  was  notoriously  drastic,  and  it  would  be 
dangerous  in  the  last  degree  to  incense  him  against  the  two 
families  of  Krilof  and  Stroganof  by  carrying  off,  in  the  very  teeth 
of  his  ookaz,  one  of  the  fairest  flowers  of  that  garden  in  which  he 
had  signified  his  intention  of  culling  a  nosegay ! 

So  that  here  was  something  in  the  nature  of  a  deadlock  ;  and 
when  the  time  came  for  me  to  mount  Daniel  and  ride  away  we 
had  discerned  no  consoling  solution  of  the  problem.  Neverthe- 
less, I  had  agreed  to  put  the  matter  before  my  uncle,  while  Vera 
had  promised  to  do  her  best  to  persuade  her  brothers  to  allow  of 
our  immediate  union.     I  parted  from  her  with  a  heavy  heart,  for 


A    BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 


309 


I  had  little  hope  of  winning  my  uncle  over  to  my  side  in  this 
matter  ;  he  had,  I  knew,  too  much  at  stake  in  retaining  the  Tsar's 
favour  ;  and  as  for  Vera's  brothers,  were  they  likely  to  forego  the 
chance  of  becoming  brothers-in-law  to  the  Head  of  the  Realm  for 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  Vera  united  to  a  member  of  a  family  at 
feud,  for  ages,  with  their  own?  From  every  point  of  view  the 
case  looked  hopeless. 

But  though  I  had  expected  opposition  from  my  uncle  and 
brothers,  I  did  not  suppose  the  former  would  have  displayed  so 
much  excitement  as  he  did  when  I,  somewhat  tremblingly, 
approached  him  on  the  subject  of  my  greatly  desired  marriage 
with  Vera.  We  had  by  this  time  received  a  similar  copy  of  the 
proclamation,  and  I  found  my  uncle  deploring  the  fact  that  the 
only  Stroganof  maiden  eligible  as  one  of  those  who  might  be 
chosen  was  his  own  daughter,  a  very  excellent  and  domesticated 
creature,  possessing  every  amiable  quality,  but  no  claim  whatever 
to  comeliness,  whose  chance  of  being  chosen  as  Tsaritsa  was  con- 
sequently of  the  smallest. 

'  Ah,  Sasha,  my  boy,'  he  concluded,  '  our  chance  is  a  poor  one  ; 
and  yet  only  think  what  might  have  been  if  all  the  Stroganofs 
were  as  handsome  as  thou  ! '  It  was  a  favourite  delusion  of  my 
uncle's  that   I  was  extremely  handsome  ;  I  was  not  handsomer 

than  my  neighbours,  in  reality,  though  Vera  says  to  this  day 

but  I  was  recording  the  conversation  with  my  guardian  :  '  What 
of  this  Krilof  girl,  now,  whom  I  believe  you  have  seen  ?  She  is  said 
to  be  remarkable  for  personal  comeliness  ;  is  that  so  ? ' 

'  She  is  the  most  beautiful  and  queenly  being  that  God's  sun 
ever  shone  on  ! '  said  I  fervently. 

'So?'  said  my  uncle,  smiling  at  my  enthusiasm;  'then  if 
the  Tsar  thinks  as  you  do,  we  may  expect  to  see  a  Krilof  seated 
beside  him  as  our  sovereign ;  that  would  not  be  a  pleasant  upshot 
of  the  matter  for  us  Stroganofs  !  ' 

'No,  certainly  not,' I  assented  with  fervour;  'but  there  is 
little  danger  of  that,  for  Princess  Vera  will  never  consent  to  marry 
the  Tsar,  whatever  happens.'     My  uncle  laughed  aloud. 

'  What,  refuse  to  be  a  Tsaritsa  ?  '  he  said.  '  No,  Sasha,  such 
things  do  not  happen.  What  do  you  refer  to — some  love 
affair  ? ' 

'  Yes,'  I  said  stoutly,  'she  has  told  me  herself  that  she  is  in 
love.' 

'  Don't  believe  it,  my  son  ;  don't  believe  it  !  '  replied  my  uncle, 
with  conviction.     '  She  may  be  in  love,  as  you  say ;  but  let  her 


310  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

taste  the  pride  of  being  the  one  chosen  maiden  from  among  the 
rest  of  her  sex  ;  let  her  see  the  pomp  and  grandeur  of  the  Court, 
and  away  will  vanish  all  her  calf-love  for  her  little  local  boyar, 
whoever  he  may  be.' 

'  All  this  might  happen  with  others,'  said  I,  '  but  Vera  is 
different  from  other  women  ;  as  different  as  the  sunshine  is  from 
the  pine-torch.' 

My  uncle  laughed  again.  '  You  seem  to  know  this  maiden's 
mind  very  accurately,'  he  said  ;  '  one  would  suppose  you  were  the 
fortunate  boyar  whose  attractions  are  to  outweigh  those  of  a 
throne !  ' 

'  I  am  he,  uncle,'  I  said,  blushing  scarlet ;  '  Vera  loves  me.  I 
will  marry  her  immediately,  if  you  permit  it ;  she  is  willing,  and 
that  will  settle  the  question  of  a  Krilof  Tsaritsa,  which,  as  you 
say,  would  be  an  unpleasant  outcome  for  us  ! '  I  jumped  at  this 
frail  argument ;  it  was  the  only  one  I  knew  of  likely  to  serve 
me. 

'  And  settle  the  fate  of  the  Stroganof  family,  too,  you  young 
fool ! '  said  my  uncle,  paling  with  anger  or  consternation — '  and 
especially  of  the  offending  Stroganof !  Do  you  suppose  that  your 
action  would  escape  observation,  or  that  the  Tsar  would  spare  the 
boyar  families  that  dared  thus  openly  defy  him  ?  ' 

'  But  the  Tsar  is  not  our  owner,  and  we  his  slaves ! '  I  said. 
'  We  owe  him  our  allegiance  and  pay  him  our  tribute,  but  is  he 
to  tell  us  also  whom  we  may  marry  and  whom  not  ?  I  say  that 
we  are  boyars,  and  nearly  as  good  as  he  ! ' 

'  At  all  events  the  first  choice  of  wives  is  his  ! '  said  my  uncle ; 
'and,  at  all  events,  I  forbid  you  to  contemplate  even  for  a  moment 
the  commission  of  this  mad  thing  you  speak  of.  Do  you  not 
understand  that  the  fortunes  of  our  house  hang,  at  this  moment, 
on  the  Tsar's  favour  ?  Would  you  wreck  our  hopes  at  a  blow,  and 
destroy  both  present  prosperity  and  future  aggrandisement  by  a 
piece  of  insanity  which  you  would  regret  for  ever  after  ?  If  I 
thought  there  was  danger  of  it,  I  would  have  you  locked  up  until 
the  choice  of  the  Tsar  is  made  ! '  I  had  never  seen  my  uncle  so 
moved  before. 

'  At  least  you  will  allow  me  to  escort  Vera  to  Viatka,  and 
afterwards  to  Moscow,'  I  said,  '  if  I  promise,  whatever  happens,  to 
do  nothing  rash  ?  ' 

'  No,  that  I  will  not ! '  he  said  ;  '  you  shall  not  go  from  here 
if  word  of  mine  can  prevent  it ! ' 

But  I  would  give  no  promise  on  this  score,  to  the  great   dis- 


A    BOYAR   01    THE    TERRIBLE.  311 

pleasure  of  my  uncle,  from  whom  1  parted  on  termfl  which  were 
not  of  the  most  cordial. 

So  then  I  journeyed  once  more  to  Molebsk  to  see  Vera,  and 
tell  her  the  result  of  my  talk  with  my  guardian.  She  had  had  no 
better  success  uith  her  brothers — she  had  not  expected  it,  nor  had 
I.  The  Krilofs  were  naturally  anxious  that  Vera  should  take  her 
chance  with  other  maidens,  and  Mattered  themselves  with  great 
hopes  as  to  her  prospects  and  of  their  own  consequent  greatness 
in  the  near  future.  Before  I  parted  with  my  princess  that  day,  I 
solemnly  promised,  to  her  exceeding  satisfaction  and  content, 
that  whether  on  the  journey  to  Viatka,  or  thence  to  Moscow,  or 
whether  in  the  capital  itself,  wherever  she  should  be,  I  would 
never  be  far  away  from  her,  but  always  at  hand — it  might  be 
under  disguise,  or  possibly  in  my  own  likeness — to  consult  or  to  act 
as  occasion  demanded. 

And,  armed  with  what  consolation  we  could  glean  from  this 
arrangement,  and  fortified  by  renewed  vows  of  unchangeable 
devotion  to  each  other,  we  prepared  to  face  the  future  and  to 
fight  out  our  destiny  according  as  circumstances  should  array  their 
forces  agaimt  us. 

My  uncle  kept  a  careful  watch  upon  my  movements.  I 
learned  afterwards  that  he  had  warned  every  priest  within  a  radius 
of  fifty  miles  of  my  intention  to  marry  against  my  guardian's  will ; 
exhorting  them  one  and  all  to  refuse  to  perform  the  rite  if 
applied  to. 

But  chiefly  at  home  at  Perm  was  I  watched  and  worried. 
Every  serf  and  servant  about  the  place  appeared  to  have  his  orders 
to  keep  me  in  view  and  report  any  suspicious  action  on  my  part. 
It  was  exceedingly  unpleasant.  At  last  I  received  that  which  I 
was  awaiting :  a  notification  from  Vera  that  on  the  following 
Monday  she  was  to  start  for  Viatka,  under  the  care  of  her 
brother  Andrew  and  of  an  old  family  nurse — Tatyana.  I  received 
this  communication  secretly,  by  means  previously  discussed  and 
agreed  upon  between  us,  so  that  no  one  about  the  house  either 
observed  or  reported  the  receipt  of  Vera's  message  or  my  sub- 
sequent proceedings.  Early  on  the  following  Monday  morning  I 
eluded  the  vigilance  of  my  too  solicitous  friends,  and,  having 
secured  what  money  I  could,  as  well  as  a  beltful  of  pistols  and 
other  small  arms,  I  mounted  old  Daniel  and  took  my  departure. 

Where  the  road  from  Molebsk  joined  the  direct  road  to  Viatka, 
I  took  refuge  from  the  cold  and  boisterous  weather  in  the  hut  of 
a  peasant,  whence  I  could  keep  a  watch  upon  all   that  passed 


3i2  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

without  ;  and  from  my  watching-place  I  espied,  an  hour  or  two 
later,  a  small  cavalcade  approaching.  This  was  Krilofs  three- 
horsed  travelling  carriage  placed  upon  sledge  runners,  and 
occupied  by  Vera  and  her  brother  and  the  nurse,  followed  by  an 
ordinary  rustic  sledge  drawn  by  two  horses  and  containing  servants, 
while  a  third  vehicle  was  loaded  with  baggage  and  provisions. 

I  had  left  old  Daniel  to  munch  his  oats  in  full  view  of  any 
passers-by,  because  I  knew  that  he  would  not  escape  my  Vera's 
eyes — few  things  ever  did  ! — and  I  desired  her  to  know  that  I  was 
at  hand.  That  she  did  see  Daniel,  and  also  understood  the  mean- 
ing of  his  presence  there,  was  made  clear  to  me  by  the  waving  of 
a  white  handkerchief  from  the  carriage  window.  Andrey,  too, 
might  have  seen  and  recognised  Daniel  as  easily  as  she,  but 
Andrey  was  not  sharp  enough.  Not  that  it  would  have  made 
much  difference  if  he  had  ! 


{To  be  continued.) 


A  Boyar  of  the  Terrible. 

A    ROMANCE   OF  THE   COURT  OF  WAN   THE   CRUEL, 
FIRST   TSAR    OF  RUSSIA. 


By  Fred.  Whishaw, 
Aitiior  of  'Out  of  Doors  in  Tsarland.'  etc 


CHAPTER   X. 


A    BEAUTY    SHOW. 

fPHE  ride  from  Perm  to  Viatka  is  a  long  one,  not  much  less 
X  than  throe  hundred  miles,  and  was  not  performed  without 
adventure.  There  were  wolves  and  robbers  and  '  mitails,'  or 
blinding  snowstorms,  to  contend  with,  and  more  than  once  was  I 
of  service  in  assisting  the  party  out  of  difficulty  and  danger,  and 
more  than  once  was  I  amply  rewarded  by  a  kind  and  loving  look 
from  Yera's  dark  ejes  and  a  loving  whisper  from  her  lips.  Of 
course  Andrey  was  soon  aware  of  my  presence  or  proximity,  and, 
though  he  frowned  savagely  at  me  the  first  time  that  we  actually 
met,  and  bade  me  beware  how  I  played  the  fool  in  this  matter — 
seeing  that  the  journey  was  undertaken,  as  it  were,  by  order  of 
the  Tsar — yet  we  did  not  come  to  actual  quarrelling  ;  for,  as  I 
explained  to  him,  it  would  be  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world  for 
me  to  carry  off  Vera  at  any  moment  if  I  desired  to  do  so,  and  in 
the  fact  that  I  had  not  already  done  so  was  proof  sufficient  that 
she  was  safe.  Andrey  was  sensible  enough  to  tee  that  this  was 
true,  and  therefore — though  he  would  rather  I  had  staved  away — 
he  put  up  with  my  presence  and  company  with  the  best  grace  he 
could  assume;  and,  indeed,  I  did  not  inflict  myself  upon  him 
continuously,  but  only  occasionally,  for  I  rode  in  advance  at 
times,  and  at  others  followed  behind,  forming  a  kind  of  scouting 
bodyguard  to  my  princess. 


3Q0  A  BOYAR   OR   THE   TERRIBLE. 

And  so  Viatka  was  safely  reached  within  the  week,  and  well 
in  advance  of  the  appointed  limit  of  time.  And  here  we  found 
the  Tsar's  commissioners  already  busy  cataloguing  the  names  of 
the  boyars  of  the  district,  and  the  names  and  ages  of  their 
daughters. 

The  town  was  full  of  girls — young  and  old,  fair  and  plain, 
merry  and  disconsolate.  To  judge  from  the  number  of  young 
men  present,  there  were  also  many  of  my  sex  situated  very  much 
as  I  was — that  is,  engaged  or  wishful  to  marry  some  of  those  who 
were  compelled  to  submit  themselves  to  the  process  of  selection 
or  rejection ;  and,  taking  them  one  with  another,  I  do  not  think 
I  have  ever  seen  a  more  melancholy-looking  body  of  men.  As 
was  right  and  natural,  each  one  doubtless  thought  his  own 
charmer  to  be  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most  attractive  of  all, 
and  therefore  the  likeliest  to  be  chosen  by  the  young  Tsar ;  and 
this  accounted  for  the  melancholy  looks  of  so  many.  Comparing 
Vera  with  all  these  others,  I,  too,  felt  mournful  and  despondent ; 
for,  apart  from  prejudice  and  lover's  blindness,  there  could  be 
little  doubt  that  my  beautiful  princess  was  as  infinitely  superior 
to  the  rest  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth.  There  was 
unspoken  evidence  of  this  in  every  glance  of  admiration  lavished 
upon  her  as  she  walked  out,  and  spoken  testimony  in  plenty  also, 
as  I  heard  for  myself  many  times. 

'  There  goes  one  that  spoils  our  chance ! '  one  of  a  group  of 
girls  would  say,  as  Vera  passed,  queenlike,  down  the  road. 

'  Devil  take  her,  yes  ! '  said  another.  '  What  eyes  !  It  would 
console  my  poor  Alexis  to  see  her.' 

'  Pavel,  look  there  ! '  another  would  say.  '  There  walks  a 
Tsaritsa  born  !     "We  are  safe,  my  beloved  ! ' 

'  Yes,  she  is  handsome,'  said  Pavel,  fervently,  '  and  the  stuff 

Tsaritsas  are  made  of;  but '  and  the  young  lover  plunged  into 

love's  platitudes,  and  doubtless  perjured  himself  by  stating  that, 
beautiful  as  yonder  maiden  was,  she  was  not  to  be  compared  with 
his  own  Olga,  or  Doonya,  or  Marie,  or  Xadia. 

Hour  by  hour  the  town  filled  with  constantly  arriving  travel- 
ling carriages  and  sledges,  each  containing  its  cargo  of  blushing 
tremulous,  hopeful  maidenhood,  and  its  quota  of  fussy  and  agitated 
and  anxious  parents  or  guardians  or  old  family  nurses.  Never, 
surely,  was  so  much  youth  and  beauty  collected  together  into  one 
town  as  was  now  to  be  seen  in  Viatka ;  it  was  like  a  fair  of  the 
graces — blushes,  and  beauty,  and  laughter,  and  agitation,  were 
everywhere. 


/    BO  YAH    OF  THE    TERR IB  I.E. 


391 


Prince  Mezetsky,  president  of*  the  committee  of  three,  was  the 
object  of  every  kind  of  flattery  and  adulation.  Happy  were  those 
boyars  who  were  acquainted  with  him,  and  could  therefore  put  in 
a  word  or  two  for  themselves  and  their  daughters.  Bub,  beyond 
specifying  what  were  his  particular  instructions  as  to  the  qualities 
to  be  looked  out  for  in  the  maidens  to  be  selected  in  this  pre- 
liminary competition,  Mezetsky  would  not  commit  himself  as  to 
the  chances  of  any  girl  concerning  whose  prospects  lie  was 
interrogated. 

'  If,'  he  would  say,  '  she  is  healthy,  of  un stunted  growth,  of 
good  colour,  shapely  of  limb,  and  comely  of  countenance,  she  will 
extend  her  journey  to  Moscow,  and  beyond  this  I  can  promise 
nothing.' 

Vera  possessed  all  these  qualities,  of  course,  and  therefore  I 
had  no  hope  whatever  that  her  journey  would  end  at  Viatka,  and 
with  it  her  danger  of  being  selected  for  undesired  greatness.  She 
was  certain  to  be  among  the  hundred  favoured  (or  unfortunate) 
of  this  centre  to  be  reserved  for  the  Tsar's  own  inspection. 

There  were  some  lovelorn  girls  who  went  about  in  tears, 
victims  to  the  ambition  of  their  parents,  and  being  led  like  lambs 
to  the  slaughter.  I  think  the  most  love-sick  of  these  was  little 
Princess  Olga  Hosinsky,  of  Xikolsk,  in  Vologda,  the  betrothed  of 
my  own  cousin  on  the  mother's  side,  Pavel  Prohorof,  whose  estate 
lay  near  to  her  own.  This  Olga  was  a  girl  of  spirit,  though  her 
tear-laden  eyes  and  dejected  looks  at  this  time  did  not  testify  to 
her  stoutness  of  heart.  But  her  words  were  brave  though  her 
bearing  was  not,  and  I  was  present  during  a  conversation  which 
proved  to  me  that  there  were  others  who  shared  my  Vera's  views 
as  to  the  advantages,  or  the  reverse,  of  a  seat  upon  the  throne  of 
Muscovy,  if  shared  with  young  Ivan-T.-ar.  The  talk  was  about 
Ivans  notorious  savagery  of  disposition,  and  old  Prince  Hosinsky 
had  used  in  vain  every  argument  he  could  think  of  to  gloss  over 
the  character  of  the  young  sovereign,  and  to  paint  in  bright 
colours  the  magnificence  and  the  splendour  in  store  for  her  who 
should  be  chosen  his  bride. 

'The  Tsar  shall  never  choose  me,'  she  said,  'for  I  shall  take 
good  care  to  look  my  very  worst  on  the  day  he  first  seea  me.  I 
shall  fall  and  scratch  my  face,  and  wear  an  unbecoming  dress;  I 
would  do  anything  to  make  him  turn  from  me  with  loathing. 
I  tell  you  again,  I  would  not  marry  the  little  tyrant  were  he 
emperor  of  all  Europe.' 


392  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

1  Ah,  but  you  must  be  very  careful,  my  soul,'  said  Pavel ;  '  for 
lie  has  pity  neither  for  man  nor  woman  that  offends  him.' 

Olga  laughed :  '  I  shall  not  do  anything  rash/  she  declared ; 
'  but  I  shall  look  to  you,  my  Pavel,  to  save  me  from  wedding 
the  little  tiger,  if  a  dowdy  dress  and  a  scratched  nose  are  not 
enough  to  persuade  him  that  I  am  not  the  loveliest  of  his 
subjects.' 

'  But  have  you  no  ambition  to  be  Tsaritsa  of  Moscow,  little 
soul?'  asked  Pavel,  using  the  fondest  expression  in  the  Eussian 
language.  Olga  placed  her  hand  in  his :  '  I  am  only  ambitious 
to  be  Tsaritsa  of  your  home  and  of  your  heart,  my  boyar ! '  she 
whispered.  Whereupon  Pavel  vowed  by  all  the  Eussian  saints, 
and  especially  by  his  own  particular  one,  St.  Paul,  that  the 
sanguinary  little  tyrant  of  Moscow  should  never  possess  his 
beloved  Olga,  even  though  he  should  choose  her  from  among 
ten  thousand  to  be  his  bride  and  empress.  And  so  it  happened 
that  Olga  set  out  with  her  father  and  mother  for  the  building  in 
which  the  first  act  of  this  imperial  comedy  was  to  be  performed, 
greatly  comforted  by  the  words  of  her  lover,  and  in  no  degree 
influenced  by  those  of  her  father,  though  some  would  say  that 
these  latter  represented  wisdom  and  the  former  foolishness.  Yet 
there  are  those  also  who  hold  that  the  wisdom  of  loving  and  loyal 
hearts  is  the  true  wisdom,  and  that  the  wisdom  of  worldly  ambition, 
and  the  desire  for  wealth  and  aggrandisement  is  the  true  foolish- 
ness, and  of  these  latter  am  I  who  write. 

The  preliminary  selection  took  place  in  a  large  granary,  glorified 
now  for  the  occasion,  but  used  during  the  summer  months  in  con- 
nection with  the  grain  trade  of  the  place ;  and  here,  at  the  appointed 
hour,  were  assembled  the  whole  girl  population  of  the  district — 
all  who  could  claim,  that  is,  to  have  boyar  blood  running  in  their 
veins.  For  an  hour  before  that  chosen  for  the  commencement  of 
the  proceedings,  the  large  hall  was  filled  with  a  crowd  consisting 
of  the  fifteen  hundred  maidens,  the  competitors,  together  with 
their  parents  or  guardians,  or  old  nurses,  and  their  friends.  The 
competitors  themselves  were  all  dressed  in  national  costume,  their 
hair  being  allowed  to  fall  in  a  single  thick  plait  down  their  backs  ; 
the  only  essential  difference  in  one  costume  from  another  lay  in 
the  magnificence  or  modesty  of  its  adornment  of  pearls  or  other 
precious  stones,  and  in  the  elaboration  of  the  red  and  blue  needle- 
work that  half  covered  the  dress  of  each  damsel.  It  was  in  vain 
that  Olga  had  begged  her  parents  to  be  allowed  to  don  her  most 
dowdy  frock,  and  to  leave  at  home  all  those  strings  of  pearls  and 


A    BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  393 

other  gems  which  usually  adorned  her  dress  on  special  occasions. 
She  had  found  that  her  father  and  mother,  though  kind  parents  to 
her  as  a  rule,  were  against  her  now  in  the  matter  upon  which  she 
had  set  her  heart ;  they  were  but  human,  after  all,  and  the  pro- 
spect of  having  their  daughter  chosen  as  the  consort  of  the 
sovereign,  with  all  the  brilliant  potentialities  of  power  and  emolu- 
ment to  themselves  which  such  a  contingency  opened  out,  was  a 
prospect  a  little  too  dazzling  to  be  lightly  ignored.  'Nay,  Oliushka,' 
the  old  prince  had  said,  'you  shall  wear  your  prettiest  dress,  little 
soul,  and  look  your  very  sweetest — and  who  can  look  sweeter  than 
our  Oliushka  ? — and  if  it  please  God  and  the  holy  saints  to  place 
you  upon  the  throne  of  Eussia,  there  is  none  in  the  realm  who 
would  better  grace  the  position.  And  though  I  say  it,  little 
soul,  your  old  father  will  make  an  extremely  efficient  Minister  of 
State? 

'Yes.  Oliushka,  and  time  are  better  things  in  the  world  than 
young  love,'  added  the  princess,  her  mother;  'I  loved  another 
when  I  was  married  to  your  father,  but  my  parents  were  wiser 
than  I,  and  knew  well  what  was  best  for  their  child;  just  as  we 
know  what  is  best  for  you,  little  dove.  So  weep  not,  but  obey, 
and  put  on  your  prettiest  frock  and  the  best  pearl-strings,  as  you 
are  bid.'  Olga  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of  weeping  just 
now,  for  she  had  dried  her  tears  since  the  moment  when  her  mind 
was  quite  made  up  that  under  no  circumstances  would  she  per- 
mit herself  to  be  chosen  Tsaritsa  against  her  will ;  but  she  obeyed, 
nevertheless,  and  did  put  on  her  smartest  dress,  as  her  parents 
desired.  Pavel  was  among  the  crowd  at  the  hall  on  this  morning 
in  December ;  but  neither  he  nor  any  other  person  excepting  the 
competing  girls  themselves  were  allowed  to  remain  there  during 
the  actual  business  of  selection.  The  hall  was  cleared,  and  the 
spectators  informed  that  they  might  wait  in  the  ante-rooms  or 
outside  in  the  street,  or  anywhere  they  pleased,  and  that  those 
young  ladies  whose  chances  of  selection  did  not  survive  the  very 
first  inspection  of  the  ranks  of  beauty  would  soon  follow  their 
friends  into  the  outer  world.  As  for  me,  I  joined  my  cousin 
Pavel,  with  whose  anxieties  I  naturally  felt,  at  this  time,  the, 
greatest  sympathy,  and  we  comforted  each  other  as  best  we 
could.  Then  the  business  began.  Mezetsky  and  his  fellows  of 
the  committee  were  seated,  like  judges,  in  a  row,  before  a  large 
table,  each  being  provided  with  sheets  of  paper  and  pen  and  ink. 
The  competitors  were  then  instructed  to  form  themselves  in  line, 
and  thus  to  advance  one  by  one  to  the  table,  where  they  would 


394  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

be  asked  their  names,  and  submitted  the  while  to  a  casual  in- 
spection from  the  board  of  three.  After  the  last  should  have 
visited  the  judges'  table  a  list  would  be  read  out  of  the  names  of 
those  who  had  failed  to  survive,  so  to  speak,  the  preliminary 
examination,  when  these  unfortunates  would  be  requested  to 
leave  the  hall  and  return  to  the  consolations  of  their  friends. 
This  portion  of  the  proceedings  was  put  in  hand  at  once,  the  girls 
advancing,  a  blushing,  tremulous  line,  to  the  table  and  giving  in 
their  names.  The  judges  showed  but  little  consideration  for  the 
feelings  of  their  victims,  making  their  remarks  to  one  another  as 
to  the  good  looks  or  otherwise  of  the  nervous  young  creatures 
who  came  to  give  in  their  names  without  the  slightest  reserve, 
and  as  though  they  were  the  appointed  committee  sitting  in 
judgment  upon  a  collection  of  pictures  rather  than  upon  the 
actual  throbbing  and  tremulous  tenements  of  passionately  excited 
human  hearts. 

'  God  of  our  fathers,  what  a  frightful  creature ! '  Mezetsky 
would  observe  as  some  wretched  lady  of  unattractive  appearance 
took  her  turn  at  the  table ;  '  you  might  have  saved  us  a  shock 
and  yourself  the  trouble  of  a  journey  by  remaining  at  home ! ' 

'  Which  of  us  are  you  looking  at  ? '  rudely  added  one  of  his 
fellow-judges ;  '  one  of  your  eyes  appears  to  be  looking  at  me,  and 
the  other  at  Michael  Ivanitch  here  ! '  Many  a  victim  burst  into 
tears  under  such  unfeeling  criticism  as  this ;  but  some  showed 
spirit,  and  gave  the  committee  as  good  as  they  had  received. 

'  Why  could  not  the  young  Tsar  send  down  an  able-bodied 
committee  instead  of  a  set  of  blind  and  gibbering  old  fogies  of  a 
hundred  years  of  age?'  asked  one,  smarting  under  some  unflatter- 
ing observation  of  her  judges ;  '  how  can  you  be  expected  to  see 
clearly  at  the  distance  of  the  table-width  ?  Poor  old  gentlemen  ; 
you  had  better  send  us  all  up  to  his  Majesty,  and  give  us  and  him 
a  fair  chance.' 

'  This  isn't  a  bad-looking  face,'  would  be  the  dictum  as  another 
lady  appeared  at  the  table ;  '  but,  Lord  God,  what  a  figure  ! ' 

'Ah!  praise  to  the  Highest! — here  is  a  woman  holds  herself 
like  a  streletz ! '  said  Mezetsky,  as  a  fine  tall  girl,  with  a  waxen 
Eussian  face  and  the  wide  and  rather  upturned  nose  admired  in 
that  country,  advanced  in  conscious  pride ;  '  this  one  will  get  to 
Moscow  without  much  doubt.' 

1  Here  comes  one  who  looks  as  though  she  were  Tsaritsa 
already,'  said  Michael  Ivanitch,  indicating  Olga  Hosinsky,  whose 
turn  it  was  to  approach. 


A   BO  YAH   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  395 

'  Pass  on,  sweetheart,  thy  chance  is  a  rare  one !  Ivemember 
me  kindly  if  the  Tsar  choose  thee  for  his  bride ! '  said  Mezetsky, 
kissing  his  hand  ;  '  and  a  pleasant  journey  to  Moscow  ! ' 

All  this  I  heard  from  Vera  and  ( >lga.  and  from  others  besides ; 
for  there  were  many  tongues  wagging  that  day,  and  nothing  that 
was  said  by  the  judges,  either  flattering  or  the  reverse,  was  allowed 
to  pass  unremarked  upon  for  lack  of  repetition. 

As  for  my  princess,  what  tongue,  what  pen  could  describe 
her  loveliness  and  her  supremacy  on  that  morning?  Her  simple 
Russian  national  dress  suited  her  perfectly;  she  looked  what  she 
was,  a  Queen — one  of  those  intended  by  Nature  to  rule  over  the 
hearts  of  men ;  as  superior  to  the  fairest  and  stateliest  of  those 
other  Viatka  maidens  as  the  Volga  is  to  the  Ufa.  Even  Olga, 
who  was  really  a  beautiful  girl  and  held  herself  well  besides, 
looked  plain  and  insignificant  beside  my  princess ;  and  when  it 
came  to  Vera's  turn  to  pass  before  the  three  judges,  those  dis- 
tinguished boyars  made  no  attempt  to  disguise  their  admiration, 
but  '  oh'd  '  and  '  ah'd '  in  her  face  in  a  manner  to  make  her  flush 
with  scorn  and  anger — in  which  state  of  mind,  as  I  knew  well, 
she  was  more  beautiful,  if  possible,  than  ever;  and  ended  by 
standing  up,  all  three  in  a  row,  and  bowing  to  the  ground,  greet- 
ing her  as  Tsaritsa,  and  closing  their  books  as  though  there  could 
be  no  further  need  of  selection. 

Vera  came  out  of  the  hall  very  angry,  taking  no  notice  of  the 
admiration  and  surprise  her  splendid  appearance  caused  among 
those  who  awaited  their  -friends  without.  She  passed  by  her 
brother  unheeding  him ;  she  took  no  notice  of  old  Tatyana,  who 
cried  and  wiped  her  eyes  in  her  joy  and  pride ;  and  she  came ! — 
oh,  generous,  kind,  splendid  princess — she  came  straight  to  me 
and  gave  me  her  hand  before  all :  '  Take  me  from  this  city  of 
foolishness  and  vanity,  Sasha,'  she  said,  '  take  me  where  I  can 
breathe  God's  air  and  see  the  pines ;  I  am  suffocated  in  this 
place ! ' 

So  my  Queen  and  I  rode  forth  into  the  woods  and  galloped 
our  discontent  away  in  our  old  familiar  fashion  ;  and  during  the 
ride  we  renewed  our  vows  that  never,  never  should  this  flower  be 
plucked  from  my  bosom,  not  for  all  the  ambition  of  all  the 
Stroganofs  and  Krilofs,  nor  yet  for  the  terror  of  the  wrath  of  the 
young  Tsar  himself. 

We  agreed,  moreover,  that  on  arrival  in  Moscow  I  should 
appeal  to  the  Tsar,  on  the  plea  of  personal  friendship,  to  exempt 
from  candidature  the  maiden  pledged  to  be  my  wife,  mentioning 


396  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

no  names  and,  if  possible,  without  allowing  Ivan  to  set  eyes  upon 
Vera ;  for,  as  I  said,  '  if  the  young  Tsar  be  allowed  to  see  you,  my 
soul,  he  will  be  more  than  human  if  he  does  not  desire  to  better 
his  intimacy  with  you ! ' 

'  Bah ! '  said  Vera ;  '  then,  for  mercy's  sake,  keep  me  out  of 
his  sight ! ' 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BOYAE    AND   HIGHWAYMEN. 


From  Viatka  to  Moscow  is  a  long  ride,  and  I  shall  not  weary  either 
myself  or  those  of  my  descendants  who  may  be  destined  to  read 
these  records  by  entering  into  detail  as  to  our  adventures  during 
the  weeks  we  occupied  in  travelling  through  that  Volga-washed 
district.  One  adventure,  however,  I  will  put  down  as  being  some- 
what entertaining  and  peculiar,  and  as  an  example  of  the  kind  of 
dangers  and  difficulties  which  constantly  assailed  us  during  that 
long  journey. 

Vera  and  I,  having  by  this  time  quite  made  up  our  minds  as 
to  the  proper  course  to  be  pursued  on  arrival  in  Moscow,  felt  some- 
what more  at  our  ease  and  happier  and  lighter  of  heart.  Andrey 
Krilof.  on  the  other  hand,  was  more  arrogant  than  ever  by  reason 
of  the  many  and  marked  compliments  and  flattery  paid  to  his 
sister  at  Viatka,  and  the  consequent  strengthening  of  his  hopes 
with  regard  to  her  chances  at  Moscow. 

He  behaved  as  though  he  were  already  the  brother-in-law  of 
the  Tsar,  and  treated  his  servants,  and  even  tried  to  treat  me  also, 
as  the  dust  beneath  his  feet ;  but  it  was  never  the  way  of  the 
Stroganofs  to  submit  to  anything  of  this  kind  from  prince  or 
peasant  or  devil,  and  I  place  it  upon  record  with  satisfaction  that 
Andrey  Krilof  received  as  good  as  he  gave  in  all  haughtiness  and 
arrogance  of  deportment. 

One  day  I  happened  to  be  riding  a  few  miles  behind  the  rest 
of  the  party.  I  had  seen  wolves  about,  and  though  my  beloved 
Borka  and  Borza  were  not  at  hand  to  assist  me,  my  sporting 
instincts  were  strong  enough  to  cause  me  to  abandon  my  place  at 
the  side  of  Vera's  travelling  sledge,  and  ride  off  into  the  forest  in 
pursuit.  This  must  not  be  considered  an  unloverlike  or  careless 
proceeding  on  my  part,  because  it  was  partly  for  Vera's  sake  that 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  397 

I  decided  to  chase  those  wolves  ;  for  if  I  had  allowed  them  to 
follow  us  stealthily  unmolested,  it  was  extremely  likely  that  others 
would  join  them  during  the  day,  and  that  by  the  evening  a  pack 
large  enough  to  be  bold  and  therefore  dangerous  might  have 
assembled  on  our  flank.  So  I  pursued  those  wolves,  three  or  four 
of  them,  and  old  Daniel  contrived  to  keep  them  in  sight,  in  spite 
of  the  depth  of  the  snow  and  the  thickness  of  the  covert  through 
which  we  had  to  follow  the  animals.  Occasionally  I  fired  my 
pistols  at  the  brutes,  and  I  had  wounded,  I  think,  one  of  them 
when  I  found  that  my  ammunition  had  completely  run  out,  and 
that  my  pistols  were  no  longer  of  any  use  to  me.  These  weapons 
were  somewhat  new  to  me  at  the  time,  and  I  have  no  doubt  I 
burned  the  powder  more  wastefully  than  I  should  have  done  at  a 
later  period,  when  pistols  had  become  a  comparatively  common 
arm. 

Then  I  turned  Daniel's  head  towards  the  road  again,  and  we 
made  the  best  of  our  way  after  the  travelling  party,  whom  T  hoped 
to  overtake  in  an  hour  or  two. 

I  had  ridden  in  pursuit  of  them  several  miles,  when  I  heard 
the  clattering  of  hoofs  in  front  of  me,  and  imagined  that  I  had 
already  overtaken  the  hindermost  portion  of  the  party,  when  to 
my  surprise  I  found  that  this  was  not  the  case.  Two  strangers, 
mounted  upon  excellent  Cossack  horses  something  like  my  own, 
and  heavily  armed  with  pistols,  axes,  and  knives,  were  cantering 
swiftly  in  front  of  me.  I  took  them,  at  the  first,  for  boyars, 
travelling  like  ourselves  to  Moscow  ;  but  when  they  turned  round 
and  perceived  me,  I  soon  found  that  in  this  I  was  mistaken. 

The  instant  the  men  saw  me  they  pulled  up  and  waited  for 
me,  drawing  their  pistols  and  levelling  them  at  my  head. 

1  Stop/  one  cried,  '  and  explain  who  you  are  and  where  you  are 
going  to.' 

'  And  who  are  you  that  ask  ?  '  I  said,  casting  about  in  my  mind 
for  a  way  out  of  this  difficulty ;  for  when  unloaded  pistols  encounter 
loaded  ones  there  is  certainly  difficulty  in  the  situation. 

'Kulers  of  the  road  and  tribute  collectors,  from  Kostroma  to 
Susdal,'  said  one  of  the  two,  with  inconceivable  haughtiness. 

'By  what  right  rulers  of  the  road'.''  1  said,  and  on  whose 
behalf  tribute  collector-  ?  ' 

'By  the  right  of  might  and  our  weapons,'  Bald  the  fellow, 
'  and  on  whose  behalf  but  our  own — the  Tsar's,  think  you  ?  God 
is  in  heaven,  my  friend,  and  the  Tsar  is  far  away !  ' 


398  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

'  But  I  also  have  pistols,  grand-dad,'  I  cried,  seizing  one  and 
levelling  it  at  him — I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  mention  that 
it  was  unloaded — '  and  as  for  tribute,  the  Tsar  shall  have  it,  or 
none  ! ' 

'  You  are  a  brave  boy,'  said  my  interrogator.  '  Put  down  that 
pistol,  and  we  shall  be  the  better  friends ;  I  admire  spirit.  Tell 
me  first,  do  you  belong  to  the  rich  party  which  is  a  few  miles  in 
advance  of  us  ?  ' 

'  On  the  contrary,'  I  said,  an  idea  just  coming  into  my  head, 
'  on  the  contrary,  I  am  hoping  that  before  very  long  that  same 
party,  or  rather  the  money  and  valuables  they  possess,  may  belong 
to  me.'     The  two  robbers  looked  at  one  another. 

'  Indeed  ! '  they  said.  '  Whence  come  you,  then  ?  Not  from 
these  parts,  that  is  certain,  for  here  we  rule  supreme,  and 
none  dare  interfere  in  our  domains,  from  Susdal,  as  I  say,  to 
Kostroma.' 

'  I  have  followed  them  all  the  way  from  Viatka,'  I  said,  without 
hesitation,  '  watching  my  opportunity.     They  are  a  strong  party.' 

'  So  ? '  said  my  friend.     '  And  armed  ?  ' 

'  Heavily.'  I  replied.  '  But  I  happen  to  have  an  understanding 
with  the  coachman  of  the  prince's  own  travelling  sledge,  and  also 
with  one  or  two  of  the  armed  servants,  and  at  a  certain  spot 
agreed  upon  there  is  to  be  an  event." 

The  robbers  glanced  at  each  other  once  more,  and  held  a 
whispered  conversation.  Presently  the  bigger  of  the  two  addressed 
me  again : 

'  My  friend  and  I  are  agreed,'  he  said,  '  that  with  so  great  a 
prize  at  our  very  hands,  it  would  be  a  pity  to  quarrel  with  one 
who  appears  to  have  an  equal  right  with  ourselves.' 

'  And  who  is  well  provided  with  pistols,'  I  added  boldly,  and 
laughing  aloud. 

'  Two  pistols  are  better  than  one,'  he  said. 

'  I  shoot  equally  well  with  either  hand,'  I  retorted,  cover- 
ing, as  I  spoke,  each  man  with  a  pistol.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  do 
not  think  I  had  ever  tried  to  shoot  with  my  left  hand ;  but  the 
expedient  was  very  successful. 

'  Stop  ! '  said  my  friend,  both  men  recoiling.  '  It  is  better,  as 
I  say,  to  arrange  such  things  amicably,  especially  when — as  it 
appears — your  plans  have  been  already  prepared,  and  therefore 
we  propose  a  combination  and  an  equal  division.  Our  assistance 
will  render  your  success  certain.  We  should  succeed  without 
you ;  but  we  prefer  to  offer  you  one-third  share  of  the  booty,  in 
consideration  of  the  plan  you  have  laid.' 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  399 

After  some  show  of  reluctance,  I  accepted  this  proposal,  and 
proceeded  to  explain  exactly  where  the  robbery  was  to  be  effected. 
Now,  as  I  was  aware  of  the  place  at  which  the  Krilofs  had  resolved 
to  pass  the  night.  I  fixed  upon  a  spot  beyond  this,  in  order  to  gain 
at  least  the  hours  of  this  night  for  the  elaboration  of  my  plan. 
The  simplest  thing  would  have  been,  no  doubt,  to  fall  upon  these 
men — strike  one  down,  and  then  attack  the  other;  but  of  course 
the  danger  of  such  a  proceeding  would  be  great,  seeing  that  they 
were  armed  with  pistols  and  I  not.  and  the  second  man  would  in 
all  probability  shoot  me  dead  while  I  waa  busy  negotiating  the 
first.  Hence  I  was  anxious,  though,  I  think,  no  coward,  to 
elaborate  some  plan  by  which  I  should  save  my  own  skin  and 
make  sure  of  theirs,  and  I  fixed  upon  a  place  beyond  that  already 
agreed  upon  for  the  night -halt  of  the  party  in  front  of  us. 

We  therefore  followed  at  a  discreet  distance,  not  showing  our- 
selves to  the  travellers,  and  when  their  resting- village  was  reached, 
we  skirted  the  place  by  striking  into  the  forest  and  riding  round 
it,  coming  out  upon  the  high  road  once  more  about  two  miles 
farther  on.  Here  we  found  an  outlying  peasant's  hut,  the  owner 
of  which,  on  seeing  my  companions,  instantly  fell  to  vigorously 
crossing  himself,  praying  and  blubbering,  and  finally  disappeared 
into  the  forest  behind  the  hut,  in  the  extremity  of  terror;  and 
from  the  conduct  and  aspect  of  the  man  I  rightly  inferred  that  he 
was  acquainted  with  the  persons  into  whose  society  destiny  had 
brought  me. 

I  hoped  by  remaining  awake  while  these  men  Blept  to  secure 
at  least  one  of  them  alive,  in  which  case  I  should  have  cared 
nothing  for  his  fellow  single-handed.  But  in  this  I  was  disap- 
pointed, for  neither  one  nor  the  other,  it  appeared,  had  any 
intention  to  retire  to  rest.  Unfortunately  a  bottle  of  vodka,  which 
is  the  favourite  drink  of  the  peasants,  was  found  by  them,  and 
tliis  kept  them  awake  and  employed.  They  produced  cards,  also, 
and  played  together,  drinking  and  quarrelling,  until  their  dis- 
agreements became  so  acute  that  I  had  great  hopes  they  would 
relieve  me  of  further  embarras^ient  by  cutting  each  other's 
throats. 

This  desirable  termination  to  their  game  was  not  arrived  at, 
however;  though,  when  the  stormy  play  ceased,  my  opportunity 
came.  One  of  the  fellows  being  half  drunk,  complained  of  the 
heat  and  left  the  hut  to  cool  himself  in  the  outer  air — the 
atmosphere  within  being  in  very  truth  of  the  most  Stirling,  owing 
to  the  smallness  of  the  room  and  the  largene.-s  of  the  stove. 


4oo  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

'  Now,'  thought  I,  '  is  my  chance,'  and  I  was  about  to  spring 
upon  my  friend  and  account  for  him,  when  he  saw  my  movement 
and  divined  my  purpose,  and  before  I  could  stir  a  finger  he  had 
snapped  a  pistol  at  my  head — the  shot  flying  wide. 

I  drew  my  own  weapon,  but  laughed  unconcernedly. 

'  That  was  an  unfriendly  act,'  I  said;  'what  made  you  shoot 
at  me,  friend  ?  '  The  fellow  affected  to  make  a  joke  of  the  matter, 
as  I  did. 

'  I  thought  it  had  suddenly  struck  you  that  the  booty  would 
divide  better  into  two  than  three !  '  he  said.  His  remark  gave  me 
an  idea. 

'  You  were  wrong  there,'  I  replied.  '  I  had  not  thought  of  it ; 
but  since  you  suggest  it,  and  since  your  companion  appears  to  be 
a  poor-spirited  kind  of  a  fellow,  what  say  you  to  making  such  a 
division  as  you  suggest — instead  of  three  parts,  two  parts  ?  There 
is  a  lot  of  money,  I  can  tell  you ;  half  of  it  would  make  a  man 
rich  for  a  year  ! ' 

The  fellow's  face  instantly  assumed  a  sly  and  avaricious  ex- 
pression ;  I  longed  to  jump  upon  him  and  strangle  him  ;  but  I 
saw  that  my  present  plan  would  work  :  his  countenance  promised 
me  this  much,  therefore  I  kept  my  hands  off  him  and  adhered 
to  the  safe  game. 

'Yainkais  a  fool,'  he  said,  'and  a  coward  too;  I  have  long 
desired  a  better  partner,  and  this,  I  think,  I  have  found  in  your- 
self.    Will  you  shoot  him  or  I  ?  ' 

'  Neither,'  I  said,  '  but  we  will  together  fall  upon  him  and  bind 
him  as  he  enters  the  hat,  and  to-morrow  we  will  leave  him  here, 
bound,  for  the  peasant  to  find ;  probably  the  peasant  will  knock 
him  on  the  head  with  his  axe,  which  will  spare  us  so  much  blood- 
guilt  ;  there  is  a  special  curse  against  the  murder  of  an  associate. 
I  prefer  to  leave  him  to  the  peasant ;  if  you  prefer  to  shoot  him 
for  yourself,  then  shoot  him  ! ' 

My  friend  spat  on  the  ground  and  then  crossed  himself, 
glancing  up  at  the  sacred  picture  in  the  corner  of  the  room  as  he 
did  so. 

'  Save  us  from  special  curses,'  he  said  ;  '  have  it  your  way.' 

There  was  a  set  of  driving-reins  lying  on  the  bench  by  the 
stove,  and  the  fellow  cut  this  in  two  as  he  spoke.  He  made  a 
running  noose  of  one  rope,  I  did  the  same  with  the  other,  though 
I  could  scarcely  work  for  suppressed  laughter ;  it  seemed  so  droll 
to  me  that  this  rascal  was  about  to  tie  up  his  comrade  at  my 
bidding  and  for  my  benefit. 


A   BO  YAH   OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 


401 


'  You  pin  him  as  he  enters  the  room,'  he  said,  '  and  I  will  bind 
his  arms ;  hold  him  tight,  he  is  as  Blippery  as  an  eel  ! '  I  promised 
to  be  careful  ;  I  promised  myself,  moreover,  that  if  once  I  had  my 
arms  around  the  fellow  he  should  not  escape  me.  Then  I  took 
my  stand  at  the  door,  and  very  soon  the  victim  came  staggering  in. 

I  performed  my  share  of  the  business  very  successfully,  in  spite 
of  much  struggling  and  kicking  and  terrible  swearing ;  while 
Matyan — my  fellow-conspirator — did  his  part  in  securing  the 
man's  arms  and  legs  with  the  rope.  Then  we  placed  him  upon 
the  floor  by  the  stove,  having  first  gagged  him  ;  and  half  my  work 
was  accomplished.  With  his  companion  I  had  little  difficulty,  for 
he  did  not  seem  to  suspect  me  after  our  joint  treachery  upon  his 
partner,  and  I  easily  found  an  opportunity  to  spring  upon  him 
before  he  could  seize  his  pistols,  and  after  a  brief  struggle  I  not 
only  had  him  down  upon  the  ground,  but  also  securely  tied  up 
like  his  fellow.  Then  I  removed  the  gag  of  this  latter,  in  order 
that  the  two  might  enjoy  the  comfort,  during  the  rest  of  the 
night,  of  mutual  recrimination  ;  after  which  I  cordially  thanked 
my  friend  Matyan  for  his  assistance  in  securing  Vainka,  and 
having  informed  them  that  my  pistols  were  unfortunately  unloaded 
and  therefore  useless,  or  time  might  have  been  saved  at  the 
beginning  of  our  acquaintance,  I  wished  them  a  good  night  and 
rode  back  to  the  village,  where  my  company  were  still  at  supper. 
Here,  also,  I  found  the  peasant,  the  proprietor  of  the  hut  in  which 
I  had  left  my  two  friends,  busily  repeating,  with  many  lamenta- 
tions, the  tale  of  our  arrival  and  of  our  threats  and  terrible 
appearance.  He  was  entreating  Audrey  Krilof  to  arm  his  servants 
and  go  forth  to  secure  the  robbers  while  they  slept,  for,  he  declared, 
if  not  attacked  to-night,  they  would  certainly  themselves  attack- 
on  the  morrow.  On  seeing  me,  this  worthy  serf  fell  into  violent 
hysterics  and  was  with  difficulty  appeased,  but  eventually,  hearing 
that  both  of  the  real  miscreants  were  securely  bound,  he  hastened 
away  to  vent  his  wrath  upon  them,  armed  with  a  stout  driving- 
whip. 

'They  have  turned  me  out  of  my  hut  many  a  cold  night,'  he 
cried,  'and  stolen  my  vodka  and  piovisions — devil  take  his  own — 
and  to-night  I  am  going  to  square  the  account ! ' 

1  Don't  murder  them  with  the  axe,  grand-dad!'  I  cried  after 
him. 

'  Xot  I,'  said  he  ;  '  I  am  no  shedder  of  blood — God's  curse  is 
upon  such  !  But  the  Scripture  has  nothing  against  the  using  of 
whips!'     And  of  his  rights  with  regard  to  whipping,  this  good 


4o2  A   EOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

man  made,  I  believe,  the  very  fullest  use  that  night ;  for  when  we 
drove  up  to  the  hut  on  the  following  morning  in  order  to  pick  up 
my  prisoners  and  carry  them  off  to  the  nearest  selo  (head  village), 
we  found  those  two  formidable  persons  reduced,  through  much 
flogging,  to  the  saddest  condition  of  piteous  helplessness ;  while 
our  sturdy  serf  was  quite  tired  out  with  his  exertions.  He  returned 
the  whip  with  thanks  for  its  use,  remarking  that  there  must  be 
great  virtue  in  flogging,  since  assuredly  these  two  ruffians  had 
never  prayed  so  much  in  all  their  lives  as  they  had  done  on  this 
night. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

A    WOLF-PACK. 


I  have  mentioned  that  wolves  had  begun  to  show  themselves  in 
some  numbers ;  the  weather  at  this  time  was  very  cold  and  severe, 
and  doubtless  the  famishing  animals  were  rendered  bold  by  star- 
vation, as  they  invariably  are  ;  indeed,  I  have  never  before  or  since 
seen  a  pack  of  wolves  either  so  numerous  or  so  formidable  as  that 
which  suddenly  assailed  us  on  the  morning  following  my  adventure 
with  the  road-robbers. 

We  had  called,  as  we  passed,  at  the  peasant's  hut  in  order  to 
pick  up  these  two  amiable  persons  ;  for  it  was  our  intention  to 
carry  them  with  us  as  far  as  Susdal,  there  to  deliver  them  into 
the  hands  of  justice  ;  and  when  we  had  secured  them  and  packed 
them  safely  in  the  last  sledge — that  which  contained  the  chests 
and  parcels  in  which  were  stored  Vera's  wardrobe  and  other  pro- 
perties— we  continued  our  journey  through  the  forest. 

Once  or  twice  I  noticed  during  the  morning  that  there  were 
wolves  about,  for  occasionally  my  practised  hunter's  eye  would 
catch  sight  for  an  instant  of  the  grey  skulking  form  and  sharp 
snout  of  one  of  these  cunning  creatures,  gliding  noiselessly  among 
the  trees  on  our  flank ;  but  throughout  the  early  part  of  the  day 
the  wolves  were  mere  units,  and  as  such  gave  me  no  alarm  for  the 
safety  of  the  party,  for  I  knew  well  that  there  is  only  danger  to 
be  apprehended  from  these  formidable  but  cautious  animals  when 
their  own  large  numbers  inspire  them  with  courage  to  attack.  A 
few  wolves  are  no  more  to  be  feared  than  as  many  foxes ;  a  large 
company  of  wolves  is  one  of  the  most  dangerous  and  awe-inspiring 
things  that  the  mind  of  man  can  contemplate. 


/    JiOY.lh'    OE   E//E    TERR  HUE. 


403 


There  had  been  a  snowfall  during  the  night,  and  we  had  sent 
forward  the  two  pair-horsed  KibUka-Bledges  in  order  to  make  a 
road  for  that  of  Vera  and  her  brother,  with  whom  was  also  old 
Tatyana  the  nurse,  which  thus  travelled  last  of  the  three.  Need- 
less to  say,  I  was  mounted  upon  old  Daniel  as  usual,  and  rode  close 
to  Vera's  sledge,  as  I  often  did.  conversing  with  her  or  with  the 
others  as  we  went. 

•  There  are  wolves  about  this  morning,  Sasha  ! '  said  Vera  ;  ;  I 
have  seen  several.'     Old  Taty.ina  crossed  herself  devoutly. 

1  God  save  us  from  them  ! '  she  said  ;  '  where  are  they,  boyar  ? 
I  never  saw  one  yet.  though  I  have  lived  near  upon  seventy  years.' 

i  You  will  see  some  to-day,  Tatyana,'  I  cried,  laughing ;  '  for  it 
begins  to  look  as  though  we  were  to  see  more  than  we  need  this 
morning — look  !  there  goes  one — and  there's  another  ! " 

Sure  enough,  there  were  two  visible  together,  cantering  easily 
along  through  the  trees  on  our  right. 

•Holy  St.  Vladimir,  equal  to  the  Apostles!'  said  Taty.ina, 
devoutly,  '  is  there  any  danger  from  them,  boyar  ? ' 

'  Xone  at  present,'  I  said ;  '  those  two  grey  fellows  must  mul- 
tiply themselves  by  twenty  before  there  is  much  danger  from  their 
cowardly  kind.  See,  I  will  give  those  two  a  shot  from  my  pistol, 
and  you  will  probably  see  no  more  of  them  ! ' 

With  the  words  I  fired  a  shot. 

At  the  unexpected  sound,  the  three  horses  drawing  the  pon- 
derous travelling  carriage  all  started  violently  and  shied  to  the 
left  of  the  road.  The  sledge  struck  the  root  of  a  tree  and  tipped. 
Those  within  kept  their  seats  with  difficulty,  but  before  the  vehicle 
righted  itself.  Ivan  the  coachman  lost  his  balance  and  fell  off  the 
box  into  the  road,  while  the  horses  started  at  full  speed  after  their 
companions,  some  hundred  yards  ahead,  nearly  overrunning  old 
Daniel  and  me,  who  just  managed  to  swerve  out  of  their  way.  I 
saw  Audrey  Krilof  cleverly  secure  the  reins  before  they  could  gel 
twisted  and  entangled  among  the  scudding  feet  of  the  horses,  and 
seeing  that  the  party  in  the  sledge  were  therefore  in  no  danger  of 
being  upset,  I  stopped  Daniel  in  order  to  look  after  old 
w.-lfare,  he  having  been  sent  spinning  through  the  air  into  deep 
snow. 

As  I  turned,  I  saw  a  sight  which  instantly  revealed  to  me  an 
as  yet  unguessed  peril;  for  I  was  just  in  time  to  perceive  at  least 
twenty  wolves  appear,  mysteriously,  from  nowhere,  fall  upon  poor 
Ivan  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  tear  him,  in  an  instant  of 
time,  to  pieces,  snarling  and  fighting  over  the  bleeding  remains 

VOL.  XXVIII.    NO.  CLXVI.  E  E 


4o4  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

which  had  formed  a  living,  breathing  creature  but  a  moment 
before,  as  though  their  claim  to  the  food  were  unquestionable. 
It  was  not  a  pleasant  sight.  I  was  very  young  then  and  un- 
accustomed to  scenes  of  bloodshed  and  horror,  and  the  spectacle 
turned  me  sick  for  an  instant.  Nevertheless,  I  discharged  a  pistol 
into  the  midst  of  the  group,  and  sent  Daniel  scudding,  without  a 
moment's  delay,  after  the  sledges,  in  order  to  warn  my  friends  of 
the  danger  threatening  us.  For  I  knew  now  that  we  had  a  large 
pack  to  deal  with,  and  that,  having  tasted  blood,  the  savage  brutes 
would  thirst  for  more  and  would  be  rendered  tenfold  more  for- 
midable than  before. 

Away  flew  Daniel  down  the  road.  The  good  horse  had  seen 
the  wolves,  and  knew  just  as  well  or  better  than  I  did  that  this 
was  a  serious  matter,  and  not  an  ordinary  wolf-hunt,  with  Borka 
and  Borza  at  our  flank  and  a  couple  or  so  of  wolves  scudding  on 
in  front ;  but,  if  a  wolf-hunt  at  all,  a  hunt  with  the  wolves  in  the 
wrong  position.  Away  flew  Daniel,  and  as  we  started  down  the 
road  I  heard  the  wolves  give  tongue  like  so  many  grey  death- 
hounds,  as  they  too  started  in  pursuit  of  us.  Very  soon  I  overtook 
the  sledge  which  bore  my  princess,  and  now  I  held  a  hurried 
consultation  with  Andrey  and  his  sister.  Vera  looked  a  little 
white  as  she  turned  and  saw  the  group  of  now  noisy  brutes  close 
behind  us.  but  she  smiled  reassuringly  as  she  caught  my  eye,  and 
said  that  she  felt  no  fear.  As  for  Tatyana,  she  was  weeping  and 
babbling  a  mixture  of  prayers  and  heathenish  invocations  to  the 
Lieshui,  or  wood-spirits,  crossing  herself  wildly  and  glancing 
frantically  at  the  wolves  every  other  moment.  Andrey,  like  a 
sensible  man,  devoted  all  his  energies  to  keeping  his  horses 
straight,  for  a  mistake  .or  a  shy  on  the  part  of  driver  or  horses 
respectively  might,  he  knew,  have  fatal  consequences.  I  easily 
kept  up  with  Andrey's  three  flying  horses,  and  so  we  galloped  on 
for  four  or  five  miles,  without  much  change  in  the  position  of 
affairs,  excepting  that  the  wolves  gradually  waxed  bolder  ;  and 
whereas  they  had  been  content,  at  the  first,  to  follow  yelping  and 
howling  at  our  heels,  a  number  of  them  now  cantered  alongside 
of  us,  at  either  side,  and  occasionally  even  darted  towards  the 
■prestyashki,  the  two  outer  horses,  as  though  intent  upon  pulling 
them  down  ;  but  up  to  now  no  wolf  had  actually  dared  to  spring 
upon  us,  their  heart?  apparently  always  failing  at  the  very  last 
moment. 

Nevertheless,  they  came  nearer  at  each  menace,  and  at  last 
one  actually  had  the  audacity  to  spring  up  at  old  Daniel's  throat. 


!    BO  YAH   OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 


405 


Of  course  I  -was  ready  for  him,  and  so  was  Daniel ;  my  dagger 
sheathed  itself  in  his  neck,  and  as  he  fell  howling  to  the  rear,  old 
Daniel  very  cleverly  administered  a  kick  which  sent  him  flying 
among  his  companions,  and  provided  them  with  a  readv-made 
dinner  which  submitted  to  he  eaten  without  preliminary  struggling. 

This  did  not  discourage  the  brutes,  however  ;  on  the  contrary, 
it  appeared  only  to  embolden  them,  and  their  attacks  upon  the 
two  unshafted  horses  attached  to  the  sledge  became  with  every 
moment  more  serious,  until  at  length  those  poor  creatures  lost 
heart  and  courage,  and  stumbled  and  panted,  fighting  bravely 
with  tooth  and  hoof  the  while,  and  it  became  evident  that  before 
very  long  they  must  succumb  to  the  attacks  made  upon  them.  I 
was  able  to  protect  the  horse  which  happened  to  be  on  my  side  of 
the  road  by  slashing  with  my  drawn  sword  at  those  wolves  which 
sprang  continually  at  him  to  pull  him  down,  and  therefore  when 
the  climax  came,  it  came  in  consequence  of  the  fall  of  the  other. 

Quite  suddenly  the  far  horse  stumbled  and  fell,  and  was 
covered  in  an  instant  by  a  snarling  crowd  of  his  enemies.  For- 
tunately in  his  fall  he  tore  away  the  single  halter  which  attached 
him  to  the  front  of  the  carriage,  for  these  prestyashki  are  har- 
nessed in  this  simple  manner  in  rustic  Russia,  and  therefore  when 
he  stumbled  and  fell,  the  big  sledge  merely  bumped  against  him, 
and  passed  with  a  great  jolt  over  two  or  three  of  those  wolves 
which  clung  to  him— they  howling  with  pain,  but  continuing  to 
hold  on  to  their  victim— and  proceeded  onwards  with  two  horses 
instead  of  three.  But  the  moment  had  come  to  end  this  dangerous 
state  of  affairs.  I  drove  Daniel  through  the  thronging  wolves  to 
the  side  of  the  carriage,  striking  and  stabbing  at  the  brutes  as  I 
went ;  I  leaned  over  and  cried  out— for  the  tumult  of  the  howling 
wolves  made  it  necessary  at  this  time  to  shout  aloud  in  order  to 
be  heard  : 

■  I  Jome,  Vera,  Daniel  shall  carry  us  both  ;  you,  Andrey,  mount 
the  shafter  as  best  you  can,  and  let  Tatyana  scramble  up  behind 
you — then  help  me  to  cut  the  traces ! ' 

Andrey  did  not  lose  his  head  ;  there  is  good  stuff  in  the 
Krilofs.  lie  seized  Tatyana  and  pushed  her  unceremoniously 
upon  the  shaft-horse,  shouting  in  her  ear  to  hold  on  for  her  life  as 
e  could  by  mane,  and  rein,  and  ears.  1?  was  wonderful  to 
see  that  old  woman  climb  for  her  life,  and  grip  and  hold  on  like 
any  urchin  of  twelve!  Then  Andrey  leapt  upon  the  shafter's  back 
behind  her.  Meanwhile,  Vera  had  stood  up  at  my  bidding,  and  I 
took  her  by  the  waist  in  my  left  arm  and  hooted  her  upon  Daniel's 

E  E  2 


4o6  A   DOYAR    OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

back,  behind  me.  Several  wolves  sprang  up  and  grabbed  at  her, 
but  I  lifted  her  so  high  that,  save  for  a  tear  or  two  in  the  skirt  of 
her  dress,  she  seemed  to  have  escaped  their  attacks  altogether. 
Then  Andrey  and  I  hacked  the  shafter  free  of  the  carriage,  and  he 
sped  out  from  between  the  shafts,  with  a  neigh  of  delight  and 
relief,  as  though  his  double  burden  were  the  merest  trifle  in  the 
world  to  him — which  perhaps  it  was,  for  he  was  indeed  a  splendid 
horse,  and  second  only  to  Daniel. 

As  for  Daniel  himself,  he  carried  Vera  and  me  as  though  there 
were  no  more  weight  on  his  back  than  a  snail  bears  when  he 
carries  his  shell.  And  so,  hacking,  and  stabbing,  and  lunging  at 
our  assailants — Vera  doing  her  full  share  in  the  defence — we  flew 
in  pursuit  of  the  rest  of  the  party,  followed  by  Andrey  and  the 
loudly  praying  Tatyana. 

As  for  the  third  horse,  I  had  freed  him  with  a  cut  of  my  sword  ; 
but  he  used  his  freedom  indiscreetly,  for  instead  of  accompanying 
us — when  he  might  have  saved  his  life  as  we  did  ours — he  took  a 
course  of  his  own  into  the  heart  of  the  forest,  pursued  by  a  com- 
pany of  the  wolves  (of  whom  he  thus  relieved  us),  and  without 
doubt  he  was  eventually  by  them  pulled  down  and  devoured,  far 
from  all  hope  of  succour ;  we  heard  no  more  of  him. 

Freed  of  the  heavy  travelling  carriage,  we  were  now  able  to 
push  along  at  a  greatly  accelerated  speed,  and  we  soon  overtook 
the  two  sledges,  whose  occupants  were  doing  all  they  could  do  to 
whip  and  encourage  their  horses  to  increased  exertions.  Both 
pairs  were  travelling  at  full  gallop,  the  drivers  waving  whips  and 
shouting,  and  the  servants  and  prisoners  all  bawling  and  praying 
together — creating  such  a  din  as  we  dashed  past  them,  that  it 
was  impossible  to  gather  a  word  of  what  was  said. 

There  must  have  been  half  a  hundred  of  wolves  in  pursuit  of 
us  by  this  time,  and  the  terror  of  these  poor  people  was  natural 
and  legitimate. 

As  for  ourselves,  however,  we  were  no  longer  in  great  danger, 
for  now  that  we  had  overtaken  and  passed  the  rest  of  the  party, 
the  wolves  no  longer  harried  us,  but  confined  their  attention  to 
the  sledges  and  their  occupants,  recognising  that  here  was  to  be 
had  a  better  chance  of  success,  with  less  risk  of  getting  themselves 
wounded  by  the  swords  and  knives  which  Andrey  and  I,  and  also 
Vera,  wielded  with  so  much  effect.  So  on  flew  old  Daniel  in  com- 
parative safety.  And  as  for  me,  with  my  arm  about  my  princess 
and  her  breath  warm  upon  my  neck,  I  felt  that  I  could  gladly 
ride  on  in  this  manner  for  a  great  many  miles,  and  was  inclined 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 


40; 


to  he  sorry  when,  half  an  hour  later,  the  church  and  houses  of 
Susdal  appeared  in  sight. 

'  Our  ride  is  nearly  over,  Vera,  my  soul!'  I  said;  'there  is 
Susdal  in  the  distance.  Why  are  you  pale  ? '  I  added  in  some 
concern,  noticing  that  my  lovely  companion  drooped  and  looked 
white  and  worn.  '  You  are  not  frightened,  Vera  ?  There  is  no 
longer  danger,  sweetheart ;  be  comforted  ! ' 

1 1  am  not  frightened,'  she  replied,  smiling ;  '  dangers  are  no 
dangers  with  thee  at  hand,  my  Sasha ;  but  if  I  am  pale  I  have  a 
reason  that  you  know  not  of! ' 

I  concluded  that  the  girl  was  weary,  and  said,  'Be  comforted, 
for  you  shall  rest  in  a  few  minutes  ; '  but  before,  almost,  I  had 
completed  the  sentence,  Vera  suddenly  swayed  and  fell  forwards, 
nearly  slipping  out  of  my  arms  to  the  ground,  and  I  saw  that  she 
had  fainted. 

It  was  impossible  to  stop,  for  the  sledges  were  still  following 
us  at  full  gallop,  and  I  could  hear  from  the  variety  of  noises 
accompanying  their  advance  that  the  wolves  were  still  around 
them  and  in  full  attack.  Therefore  I  firmly  and  tenderly  took 
my  princess  to  my  heart,  and  abandoning  the  reins,  allowed  old 
Daniel  to  take  his  own  way — which  he  could  always  be  trusted  to 
do  with  discretion  ;  and  so  we  galloped  together  into  the  town 
of  Susdal,  I  overwhelmed  with  surprise  that  my  beautiful,  brave 
Vera,  whose  spirit  I  had  never  before  known  to  fail,  should  have 
so  entirely  succumbed  now  at  the  very  moment  of  safety,  and 
after  having  carried  herself  unflinchingly  through  the  terrible 
dangers  of  the  last  hour.  I  had  no  idea  of  the  real  cause  of  her 
collapse,  nor  dreamed  of  the  heroism  with  which  >he  had  sup- 
ported an  intolerable  anguish  so  long  as  betrayal  of  her  condition 
might  have  constituted  a  danger  to  her  companions.  But  when 
I  had  carried  her  into  the  great  room  of  the  inn  and  laid  her  upon 
a  divan,  I  found  to  my  horror  that  Vera's  skirt  was  all  soaked  with 
blood,  and  that  one  of  her  feet  had  been  most  terribly  lacerated 
by  the  teeth  of  a  thrice-accursed  wolf.  This  had  happened  at  the 
moment  when  I  lifted  her  from  the  carriage  to  the  saddle  ;  but 
with  extreme  fortitude  she  had  concealed  from  me  all  knowledge 
of  the  circumstance  and  of  the  agony  she  must  have  suffered  bj 
reason  of  it. 

Almost  immediately  after  our  arrival  the  two  sledges  dashed 
up  to  the  gate  of  the  inn,  the  horses  steaming  and  snorting  ;  the 
servants  chattering  and  quaking,  and  crossing  themselves  in 
gratitude  for  their  escape.     I  left  Vera  in  charge  of  Tatyfma,  and 


4o8  A  BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

went  out  to  see  whether  all  was  well  with  men  [and  horses.  All 
appeared  to  be  well,  save  for  a  few  slight  wounds  about  the  necks 
and  flanks  of  the  panting  steeds ;  but  I  could  see  nothing  of  my 
prisoners,  the  robbers,  Mat  van  and  his  companion. 

I  inquired  for  them.  Gregory,  the  driver  of  the  luggage 
sledge,  in  which  they  had  been  stowed,  removed  his  fur  cap  and 
scratched  his  head. 

'  The  wolves  nearly  caught  me,  boyarin  ! '  he  said. 

'  Well,'  I  replied,  '  what  of  that — where  are  the  prisoners  ?  ' 

'  It  was  necessary  to  delay  the  wolves,  your  mercifulness  ! '  said 
Gregory.  '  It  was  necessary  to  give  them  something  to  keep 
them  employed  in  order  to  get  a  good  start  of  them.' 

I  began  to  have  an  inkling  of  the  fellow's  meaning,  and  the 
thought  ran  cold  to  my  heart. 

'  Well,'  I  said,  '  go  on  ;  where  are  the  prisoners  ? ' 

'  Better  an  accursed  robber  caught  in  the  act  of  devising  a 
robbery  and  violence,  than  a  good  horse,'  faltered  Gregory. 

'  Do  you  mean  that  you  threw  them  to  the  wolves  in  order  to 
gain  time  and  thus  escape  yourself?'  said  I. 

'  One  by  one,  your  mercifulness,  first  the  little  one  and  then 
the  big  one ;  but  for  that  the  horses  would  have  been  pulled  down, 
and  I  too  should  have  been  lost,  as  well  as  they !  These  male- 
factors must  have  died,  you  see,  anyhow  ! ' 

Ah,  well !  it  is  good,  after  all,  to  reflect  that  Matyan  and  his 
partner  were  of  some  use  to  the  community  in  their  dying ;  they 
certainly  never  were  in  their  living.  And  perhaps  a  single  instant 
of  anguish  at  the  teeth  of  the  wolves  is  better  than  the  prolonged 
misery  of  the  knoot,  and  this  would  certainly  have  been  their 
fate  at  Susdal.  Perhaps  old  Gregory  was  perfectly  right,  though 
his  action  seemed  to  me  horrible  and  inhuman.  As  for  me,  I 
had  Vera  to  think  about,  for  though  old  Tatyana  was  a  mistress 
in  the  art  of  healing  by  herbs  and  incantations,  that  torn  foot  of 
my  beautiful  princess  did  not  yield  at  once  to  her  ministratior  s, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  rest  for  the  greater  part  of  a  week  in 
Susdal,  during  which  time  Vera  suffered  much  pain,  so  much  t  hat 
my  heart  was  embittered  against  the  wolf  tribe,  and  I  vowed  a 
terrible  and  implacable  vengeance  against  them  for  ever,  for  this 
their  sin ;  and  I  may  here  add  that  since  that  day  I  have  never 
spared  a  wolf  when  I  came  across  one. 


A    BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  409 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    TERRIBLE    TSAR. 

Moscow  was  full  ami  brimming  over  with  the  population  that 
Mocked  to  it  from  all  parts  when  we  at  length  arrived  at  the 
capital.  We  were  among  the  late  arrivals,  for  Perm  is  one  of  the 
most  distant  of  all  places  in  the  empire;  and  it  was  well  for  us 
all  that  both  the  Krilofs  and  the  Stroganofs  possess  houses  of 
their  own  in  Moscow,  otherwise  we  might  have  found  difficulty  in 
engaging  accommodation  suitable  for  our  position.  The  scene 
in  the  streets  of  the  city  was  very  like  that  with  which  we  had 
already  become  familiar  in  Viatka,  only  that  the  standard  of 
beauty  here  was  higher — since  the  hundreds  of  maidens  peram- 
bulating the  streets  of  Moscow  represented  those  already  selected 
in  the  various  centres  for  their  good  appearance  ;  while  in  Viatka, 
girls  of  every  shade  of  beauty  and  ugliness  were  to  be  found,  no 
classification  having  yet  been  made. 

Assuredly  I  never  should  have  supposed  that  so  much  loveli- 
ness existed  in  the  whole  world  as  was  now  assembled  and  at  large 
in  the  capital  of  the  Tsar;  and  even  the  most  beautiful  now 
realised  that  her  chances  were  not  so  great  as  she  had  hoped  or 
supposed,  or  perhaps  feared,  if,  like  Olga  Hosinsky  and  my  own 
Vera,  she  happened  to  be  in  love  with  some  meaner  mortal,  and 
had  no  ambition  to  be  the  chosen  of  the  Tsar.  It  was  still  two 
or  three  days  from  the  date  appointed  for  the  great  selection,  and 
I  was  anxious  to  obtain  the  ear  of  the  Tsar  in  order  to  entreat 
him  to  have  compassion  upon  me  in  so  far  as  to  exempt  my 
princess  from  competition  with  her  peers ;  but,  on  the  second  day 
after  our  arrival  in  the  city,  ere  yet  I  had  succeeded  in  gaini 
interview  with  his  Majesty,  as  I  walked  with  Audrey  and  his 
in  the  streets,  I  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  encountered  the 
Tsar. 

The  last  two  years  or  two  years  and  a  half,  since  the  d 
had  parted,  had  wrought  an  immense  change  in  my  young 
ma>ter.  I  had  left  behind  me  a  poor,  ill-dressed,  boyar-trodden 
child  whose  innate  majesty  showed  through  all  the  studied 
neglect  of  his  upbringing  ;  but  I  now  saw  before  me  the  perfect 
reali.-ation  of  very  majesty  itself.  Ivan  was  walking  with  Voron- 
tzoff,  the  young  boyar  on  whose  behalf  he  had  defied  Shuisky,  and 


4io  A  BO\AR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

when  his  eye  fell  npon  me  he  recognised  me  at  once,  and  his  face 
softened  into  a  smile  of  welcome. 

'  See,  Vorontzoff !  "Who  comes  here  ? '  he  said.  Vorontzoff 
showed  some  signs  of  recognition,  but  was  uncertain  as  to  my 
identity. 

'  I  seem  to  remember  the  face,'  he  said,  '  but  fail  to  attach  a 
name  to  it ! ' 

'  It  is  Stroganof,  Sasha  Stroganof,  one  of  my  godfathers  in 
good,'  said  the  Tsar,  '  one  of  those  who  opened  my  eyes  for  me 
and  first  taught  me  to  discern  good  from  evil ! ' 

It  was  a  kind  and  gracious  speech,  and  I  have  never  forgotten 
to  be  grateful  to  my  master  for  it. 

'  Dost  remember  Adashef  and  my  young  rascals  of  footpads, 
Sasha  ? '  he  added,  embracing  me  before  all  the  people  and  laugh- 
ing aloud,  '  and  the  ducking  thou  gavest  me  in  the  Moskva  ? 
Upon  my  honour,  that  same  ducking  washed  more  of  the  devil 
out  of  me  than  you  would  easily  believe  ! ' 

As  for  me,  I  stood  speechless,  foolishly  gazing  in  admiration 
upon  my  young  sovereign,  who  kindly  patted  my  shoulder  and 
laughed  at  my  embarrassment. 

'  And  who  are  your  friends  ? '  he  said,  regarding  Andrey 
closely  and  Vera  still  more  so.  Then  it  suddenly  struck  me  that 
this  meeting  was,  after  all,  very  unfortunate ;  for  what  if  the  Tsar 
were  to  take  a  first-sight  liking  to  my  beautiful  princess  ?  I 
suppose  I  grew  suddenly  pale,  for  the  Tsar  gazed  curiously  in  my 
face  and  rallied  me. 

'  What  is  it,  man  ?  I  am  not  a  ghost  to  be  afraid  of !  One 
would  suppose  you  had  forgotten  our  ancient  friendship  and  my 
claims  upon  you !  '     Then  I  found  my  tongue. 

'  No,  indeed,  Tsar  Ivan  Vasilitch  ! '  I  said  ;  '  and  if  I  possess 
indeed  a  claim  upon  thy  goodness,  there  is  that  I  desire  to  ask  of 
thee.  May  I  come  to-day  or  to-morrow  in  order  to  lay  my 
petition  at  thy  feet  ? ' 

'  Say  it  at  once,  man,'  he  said,  '  say  it  at  once !  I  am  one 
whose  humour  must  be  taken  at  the  flood.  I  am  in  the  best 
mood,  being  pleased  to  see  thee,  to-day ;  to-morrow  I  may  be  a 
different  man  altogether,  and  disinclined  to  grant  favours.  But 
first,  who  are  these  ? ' 

'  The  Boyarin  Audrey  Krilof  and  his  sister,'  I  said  hesitatingly, 
while  Krilof  inclined  his  head  with  much  dignity,  and  Vera 
blushed  and  bowed  also. 

'  Oh,  the  Krilofs ! '  said  Ivan,  scrutinising  anew  the  faces  of 


A   BO  YAK   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  411 

brother  and  sister,  but  lingering,  I  noticed,  much  longer  when 
his  eyes  rested  on  Vera's  beautiful  features.  'And  now,  what  of 
this  petition  ?' 

1  Pardon,  sire  ! '  I  stammered,  '  the  boon  I  would  ask  of  you  is 
very  private.' 

•  ( >h,  you  need  not  mind  Yorontzoff,'  cried  the  Tsar,  laughing  ; 
'  and  as  for  these  others,  they  are  your  private  friends — speak  on, 
then ;  the  present  time  is  your  own.'  I  advanced  close  up  to 
Ivan's  side  and  whispered  in  his  ear  that  I  was  in  distress  lest  he 
should  select  for  his  bride  one  in  whom  my  happiness  was  for  ever 
centred.     Ivan  laughed. 

'Is  she  beautiful?'  he  asked  aloud.  My  position  was  the  most 
embarrassing  that  can  be  imagined. 

'  The  lover  must  always  reply  "  Yes  "  to  such  a  question  ! '  I 
faltered.     '  Other  eyes  might  possibly  judge  differently ! ' 

'  There  are  some,'  said  Ivan,  significantly,  glancing  at  Yera  as 
he  spoke,  '  there  are  some  as  to  whose  loveliness  all  eyes  must  judge 
alike.  I  do  not  ask  of  you  names  or  descriptions  ;  but  I  will  say 
this,  that  if  I  were  to  accede  to  such  a  petition  as  this  from  each 
boyar  who  is  in  love,  then  there  would  remain  to  the  Tsar  only 
unlovable  maidens  from  among  whom  to  make  his  choice !  It  is 
impossible,  as  you  must  see.  to  promise  anything  in  this  matter; 
but  it  would  be  hard  indeed  if,  among  nearly  two  thousand  beau- 
tiful maidens,  I  should  happen  to  choose  that  one  in  whom,  as 
you  say,  your  happiness  is  centred.  Therefore,  be  comforted,  and 
grudge  not  to  the  Tsar  his  free  choice  of  a  bride.  It  has  ever  been 
the  privilege  of  the  Russian  sovereign  to  select  his  bride  from 
among  all,  unreservedly  ;  you  know  this.'     I  knew  it,  of  course. 

'Then  I  will  trust  to  your  generosity,  sire,'  I  said,  'to  spare 
my  ewe  lamb  ! ' 

'  Nay,  not  that ! '  he  replied,  '  not  that !  Better  not  to  tell 
me  which  is  your  ewe  lamb,  lest  my  attention  be  called  to  her  by 
this;  but  trust  rather  to  the  law  of  chances,  which  shows  that  1 
must  first  reject  two  thousand  of  the  ewe  lambs,  as  you  call  them, 
of  others,  before  I  select  your  ewe  lamb  ! ' 

This  was  poor  comfort,  but  as  it  was  quite  clear  that  Ivan 
intended  to  have  his  own  way  in  this  matter,  I  saw  that  it  would 
be  useless  to  reiterate  my  petition,  and  that  Vera  and  I  must 
indeed  depend  upon  the  rulings  of  destiny,  and,  if  matters  went 
against  us,  tru>t  to  our  own  selves  to  set  them  right  again. 

•Is  that  all  you  have  to  ask  of  me?'  asked  Ivan,  addressing 
me,  but  staring  at  Yera;  'ask  anything  you  please,  and  come 


412  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

to  me  when  you  like — we  are  old  friends,  remember.  Farewell 
for  the  present ;  farewell  you  also,  my  pretty  one/  he  added, 
kissing  his  hand  to  Vera ;  '  we  shall  meet,  I  dare  say,  you  and  I, 
the  day  after  to-morrow!'  Ivan  glanced  at  me  rather  impatiently, 
I  thought,  and  more  lingeringly  at  Vera,  and  departed.  He  did 
not  look  at  Krilof  again. 

Andrey  laughed  aloud  as  the  Tsar  disappeared. 

'  That  was  a  sad  misfire  for  you,  Stroganof,'  he  said ;  '  but  be 
comforted,  for  if  the  Tsar  had  granted  your  petition,  I  should 
have  stepped  forward  and  said  that  in  this  matter  the  lady  con- 
cerned should  in  justice  be  consulted,  and  also  her  friends  ! ' 

Vera  flashed  a  look  of  anger  at  her  brother.  '  Andrey,'  she 
said  scornfully,  '  in  order  to  be  brother-in-law  to  this  little  tyrant, 
would  gladly  see  his  sister  rendered  miserable  for  life !  My 
brothers  are  merchants  like  thine,  Sasha;  nevertheless,  I  know 
what  I  know.' 

'And  what  is  that,  my  sweet  sister?'  asked  Andrey,  still 
laughing,  for  he  believed  that  he  discerned  victory  already  at 
hand,  and  his  heart  was  light. 

But  Vera  vouchsafed  no  reply  whatever ;  and,  as  for  me,  all  I 
could  say  was — for  I  could  think  of  nothing  wiser  at  the  moment 
— that  I  wished  we  were  at  Kamka  instead  of  in  the  streets  of 
Moscow ;  for  then  I  should  give  myself  the  great  satisfaction  of 
chastising  him  as  he  deserved,  whereas  here  I  was  obliged  to  put 
up  with  his  foolery,  though  it  sickened  me. 

'  Why  so  ? '  he  said ;  '  fight  me,  if  you  desire  it,  here ;  I  am 
ready !  Or  come  down,  if  you  prefer  it,  to  the  banks  of  the 
Moskva,  and  have  this  matter  out  there ! '  Andrey  certainly  had 
spirit ;  our  fights  always  ended  in  the  same  way,  yet  he  was  ever 
ready  for  another.  I  think  I  accommodated  him  that  afternoon, 
but  I  cannot  remember  with  certainty.  We  were  still  boys  in 
years,  and  boyish  in  our  ways ;  and  the  fights  were  constant 
between  us,  and  this  is  why  I  cannot  be  certain  as  to  whether  we 
fought  that  day  or  not. 

But  this  I  know,  that  whereas  the  Tsar  Ivan  had  been,  though 
firm,  friendly  disposed  towards  me  on  the  first  day,  he  was  angry 
and  unfriendly  on  the  nest,  and  stamped  his  foot  when  he  saw 
me,  and  frowned,  looking  from  me  to  Vera  as  though  incensed  to 
observe  that  I  was  again  in  the  society  of  this  beautiful  maiden. 

'  I  have  thought  over  that  which  you  said  to  me  yesterday, 
Stroganof,'  he  said ;  '  your  petition  is  unpatriotic  and  disloyal.'  I 
coloured  and  bowed,  but  said  nothing.    Ivan  stamped  his  foot  again. 


A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  M3 

•Well,  have  you  no  tongue?'  he  raid  angrily. 

'  You  are  Tsar  and  I  am  your  boyar,'  I  said,  '  and  the  Tsar's 
word  is  the  law;  but  if  you  desire  to  know  my  opinion  in  this 
matter,  I  will  be  bold  to  tell  it  you,  as  I  dared  to  speak  up  in 
another  matter  two  years  ago;  and  it  is  that  I  like  your  treat- 
ment of  your  boyars  and  people  no  better  now  than  I  did  then. 
Then  you  robbed  them  of  their  purses  and  property ;  now  you 
would  rob  them  of  their  love  and  life-happiness.' 

The  Tsar  raised  his  spiked  staff  with  the  old  passionate  gesture, 
but  let  it  fall  again  without  assaulting  me. 

•  Stop,'  he  said,  '  you  are  wrong.  I  rob  no  one.  It  is  the 
recognised  right  and  privilege  of  the  Grand  Dukes  of  Kussia  to 
choose  for  their  brides  the  loveliest  and  the  best.  Do  you  grudge 
to  your  sovereign  the  exercise  of  his  right  ?  ' 

'The  Tsar  should  have  the  best,'  I  admitted  ;  'he  should  have 
that  maiden  who  is  most  capable  of  making  him  happy  and  con- 
tented ;  there  are  hundreds  beautiful  enough  for  this.  But  the 
Tsar  must  have  other  things  besides  beauty,  such  as  the  willing- 
ness of  the  maiden,  without  which  all  her  loveliness  would  not 
avail  to  delight  him.  A  weeping  bride  brings  no  content  to  the 
home  ! ' 

•  She  who  is  chosen  to  be  the  Tsaritsa  sheds  no  tears ! '  said 
Ivan,  flushing. 

'  There  are  those  who  would  die  rather  than  sit  beside  you 
upon  the  throne ! '  I  said  boldly,  for  I  had  worked  myself  up  by 
this  time  to  that  pitch  of  recklessness  that  I  cared  not  what  I  said. 
Also  I  happened  to  catch  sight  of  Vera's  face  at  the  moment,  and 
the  flash  of  approval  she  gave  me  would  have  carried  me  to  any 
length  of  disloyalty  and  audacity. 

'There  you  lie,'  said  Ivan,  looking  very  pale,  and  his  eyes 
assuming  that  bird-of-prey  expression  which  I  knew  so  well  two 
years  before. 

'  You  lie,'  he  said,  stamping  his  foot.  '  there  are  none  such; 
if  my  boyars  are  traitors,  the  maidens  know  better  what  is 
their  sovereign ! ' 

'  I  am  no  liar,'  I  said,  "  and  no  traitor  ;  and  this  you  know,  Ivan 
VasiKtch ! ' 

For  answer,  the  Tsar  raised  his  spiked  staff  and  banged  it  down 
on  the  ground,  pinning  my  foot  to  the  wooden  side-pavement  upon 
which  we  stood.  I  do  not  think  that  I  flinched ;  Vera  did  not 
know  that  I  was  touched,  as  I  afterwards  discovered,  but  the  Tsar 
did.     I  was  not  seriously  hurt,  though  two  of  my  toes  were  badly 


414  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

gored.     Ivan  glared  at  me  for  a  moment,  the  spike  still  pinning  me 
to  the  ground.     Then  his  face  softened,  and  he  drew  the  staff  away. 

'  By  my  soul,  Sasha  Stroganof,  you  are  a  brave  man,'  he  said, 
'  and  I  value  such  as  thee.' 

'  Then  do  not  needlessly  estrange  me  for  ever  from  thee.  Give 
me  my  petition,  and  I  shall  be  the  truest  servant  in  all  thy  realms  ; 
refuse  it,  or  attempt  to  take  from  me  what  is  my  own,  and  there 
is  none  in  all  Eussia  shall  hate  thee  more  than  I.' 

Ivan  laughed,  frowned,  looked  haughtily,  and  said  : 

'  Nay,  thy  favour  or  thy  hatred  will  not  support  or  destroy  the 
Tsar.  Do  as  seemeth  good  to  thee,  Stroganof.  I  am  stronger  than 
thou  ;  it  is  better  not  to  withstand  the  Tsar.     Is  this  the  maiden  ?  ' 

The  question  came  so  unexpectedly  that  I  only  flushed  and 
had  no  answer  ready,  but  to  my  surprise  Vera  came  to  the  rescue. 

'  Yes,'  she  said,  '  I  am  she.'     Ivan  frowned  and  then  smiled. 

'  Ha  ! '  he  said,  '  you  are  one  of  the  bold  ones  also,  I  perceive.' 

'  Is  it  boldness  to  acknowledge  one's  betrothed  husband  ? '  she 
replied  quietly. 

'  Where  the  Tsar  is  a  suitor,  betrothals  no  longer  hold  ! '  said 
Ivan. 

'  Are  we  slaves,  then,  to  be  bought  by  the  highest  bidder, 
whether  we  will  or  no  ? ' 

Vera  looked  so  haughtily  at  the  Tsar  that  I  trembled,  in  spite 
of  my  admiration ;  for,  I  thought,  she  appeared  in  her  anger  so 
queenly  and  so  splendid  that  no  man  of  woman  born  could  see  her 
and  withhold  his  love  from  so  magnificent  a  creature.  But  Ivan 
was  too  angry  to  be  in  love. 

'  Silence,  you  handsome  fury ! '  he  cried,  half  raising  his  hand 
as  though  to  strike  her.  At  this  gesture  I  dared  greatly,  for  it 
drove  my  patience  clean  out  of  me,  patience  being  a  quality  which 
had  never  a  very  firm  hold  upon  me. 

'  Dare  to  touch  her,'  I  cried,  '  and,  Tsar  though  you  be,  I  shall 
stretch  you  at  my  feet ;  it  would  not  be  the  first  time,  remember.' 

And  now  again  my  master  revealed  his  real  greatness.  For- 
getting in  an  instant  his  own  passion  and  my  audacity,  he  only 
thought  of  the  good  which  lay  in  my  fearlessness,  and  not  at  all 
of  the  disloyalty  and  rudeness  which  disfigured  it. 

'  Sasha,'  he  said,  '  you  are  a  man  after  my  heart ;  I  swear 
it !  We  will  not  quarrel.  If  there  are  others  as  fair  as  this  one, 
I  shall  think  of  thee  and  leave  her  ;  but  if  she  be  the  fairest  of  all, 
I  must  take  her.  This  is  more  than  I  would  say  to  any  other 
boyar  in  the  realm.' 


A    BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  415 

{ And  it  is  enough,  sire,'  said  Vera  ;  '  come,  Sasha,  we  have 
done  our  best,  and  the  Tsar  has  done  his ;  the  rest  is  with  God.' 

It  did  not  appear  to  me  that  our  prospects  were  much  the 
brighter,  for  it  was  extremely  unlikely  that  the  Tsar  would  see 
any  maiden  more  lovely  than  Vera ;  but  there  was  nothing  to  gain 
by  further  argument  or  further  useless  incensing  of  the  Tsar,  and 
my  princess  and  I — having  bowed  to  Ivan — withdrew,  I  limping  a 
little  in  spite  of  my  efforts  to  walk  in  my  usual  manner.  Vera 
noticed  it  at  once  ;  there  was  blood,  too,  upon  my  boot,  and  I  left 
a  track  of  blood  as  I  went. 

'  What  has  happened  to  your  foot,  Sasha  ? '  she  said  ;  '  see,  it 
is  bleeding.' 

'  The  nails  in  the  wood  pavement  are  badly  knocked  in,'  I 
said  ;  '  I  must  have  wounded  myself  with  one  of  them  ! '  Vera 
stopped  and  examined  my  foot.  Then  she  suddenly  started  to 
her  feet,  flushing  red  with  rage. 

'  Sasha,'  she  said — though  in  her  agitation  she  could  scarcely 
form  the  words — '  I  will  die  a  thousand  deaths,  I  swear  it,  before 
I  consent  to  marry  this  tyrant  and  bully.  It  was  he  that  did  this. 
Confess  it  was  his  accursed  spike  that  went  through  your  foot,  and 
you  never  groaned  and  never  winced,  lest  I  should  see  it  and  tear 
his  heart  from  his  bosom  ! '  Vera's  own  bosom  heaved  and  panted 
in  her  agitation.  She  burst  into  tears,  and  astonished  me  still 
further  by  repeatedly  kissing  my  foot  when  we  reached  the  privacy 
of  home,  and  afterwards  washing  the  wound — such  as  it  was — and 
doctoring  it  with  some  of  Tatyana's  herbs ;  it  was  nothing  of  a 
wound  in  reality,  but  it  might  have  been. 

And  over  that  bleeding  foot  of  mine  we  solemnly  vowed  once 
again  that,  come  what  might,  Vera  should  never  be  allowed  to 
wed  the  young  Tsar ;  and  once  again  we  took  comfort  in  the 
renewal  of  this  determination.  For  what  though  the  meshes  of 
the  net  wound  themselves  ever  closer  around  us  ?  At  the  last 
moment  we  should  rend  in  shreds  the  snare  and  escape ;  we  had 
sworn  it  ! 


(To  be  continued.) 


4i6 


At  the  Sign  of  the  Ship. 


LAST  month  all  the  Scottish  lion  in  a  peaceful  nature  was 
aroused  by  reviewers  who  did  not  understand,  or  pretended 
not  to  understand,  common  Scots  words.  Since  then  another 
critic,  Mr.  Purcell,  devotes  three  columns  and  a  half  of  the 
Academy  (June  27)  to  what  I  fear  I  must  call  incoherences  about 
Scotland  and  Scotch  authors  and  critics,  all  a  propos  of  Mr. 
Stevenson's  Weir  of  Hermiston.  .  As  Mr.  Purcell  has  never  crossed 
the  Tweed  (he  says),  his  opinion  of  Caledonia  is  like  that  about 
'  rich  Cyrene,'  which  the  Delphic  oracle  treated  with  contempt. 


Mr.  Purcell  says :  '  Caledonia  .  .  .  has  ever  been  to  each 
poetic  child  of  her  own,  not  only  a  fit  nurse,  but  a  most  partial, 
indulgent,  and  boastful  one.'  If  Mr.  Purcell  knows  anything  at 
all  about  literary  history,  he  knows,  on  reflection,  that  his  remark 
is  incorrect.  He  must  have  heard  of  Jeffrey's  reviews  of  c  a  poetic 
child'  named  Scott,  Was  Jeffrey — then  'the  first  of  British 
critics  ' — '  partial,  indulgent,  and  boastful '  as  regards  Sir  Walter  ? 
Nonsense !  In  fact  no  man  is  a  prophet  in  his  own  country,  a 
Scot  least  of  all.  San  Francisco,  not  Edinburgh,  has  a  memorial 
of  Mr.  Stevenson.  Mr.  Crockett  has  told  a  tale  which  I  may 
therefore  repeat.  It  is  ben  trovato,  if  not  vero.  When  Mr. 
Barrie's  amusing  Professor's  Love  Story  was  played  in  Kirrie- 
muir (Thrums),  one  of  the  audience  was  heard  to  remark,  'Man, 
this  is  waur  nor'  (worse  than)  '  Walker,  LondoixV  This  is  the 
common  line  of  Scotch  criticism  of  '  a  brither  Scot.'  '  Brither'  is 
Scots  for  '  brother,'  by  the  way.  Yet  Mr.  Purcell,  with  fine 
humour,  avers  that  the  critical  Caledonian  '  feels  that  he  has  dis- 
covered another  masterpiece '  if  he  sees  in  print  '  but  one  cherished 
topographical  name — the  Brig  o'  Guddlepaddock,  or  the  Kirk  o' 
Cuddyclavers.'  Alas  !  I  have  not  found  the  Northern  reviewer  so 
complacent,  and  it  was  a  Scot  who  trampled  so  noisily  on  what  he 


Longman's  Magazine. 


September  1896. 


A  Boyar  of  the  Terrible. 

A    ROMANCE   OF  THE  COVET  OF  IVAN  THE    CRUEL, 

FIRST   TSAR    OF  RUSSIA. 


By  Fred.  WhishaW, 

Author  of  '  Out  ok  Doors  in  Tsarland,'  etc. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   TSAR'S   BRIDE-CHOICE. 

I  MAKE  no  boast  of  my  conduct  at  this  time.  I  have  lived 
long  enough  to  regret  that  l  was  in  this  matter  compelled  to 
oppose  my  will  to  that  of  the  Lord's  anointed;  and  yet  I  have 
little  doubt — indeed,  none  at  all — that  were  I  to  live  my  life  over 
again  I  should  act  in  precisely  the  same  fashion.  In  a  word,  it 
is  the  necessity  to  oppose  myself  to  the  Tsar  that  I  regretted,  and 
do  still  regret ;  as  for  the  act  of  opposition — whether  to  perform 
it  or  to  submit — there  never  was,  and  never  could  be,  any  question. 
I  have  been  well  punished  for  my  offence,  and  well  rewarded  for 
my  temerity ;  I  have  suffered,  and  I  have  rejoiced;  and  I  say 
again,  that,  taking  the  one  thing  with  the  other,  I  should  act 
as  I  acted  before  if  the  same  circumstances  were  to  arise  and  the 
same  alternatives  be  placed  before  me. 

The  day  after  my  encounter  with  the  Tsar,  which  I  have  just 
described,  was  the  first  of  Ivan's  personal  inspection  of  Russia's 
wealth  of  boyar  maidenhood.    I  had  seen  many  notorious  beauties 

VOL.  XXVIII.    NO.  CLXVII.  G  G 


426  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

about  the  city,  and  some  of  these  were  very  regal-looking  per- 
sonage?. Each  of  the  better  known  beauties  had  her  own  circle 
of  adherents  and  flatterers,  who  had  assured  themselves  of  her 
approaching  triumph,  and  were  doing  their  best  to  ingratiate 
themselves  with  one  who  might  at  any  day  blossom  forth  as  the 
consort  of  their  sovereign. 

I  still  remember  the  thrill  of  surprise  and  admiration  which 
passed  over  me  when  first  I  met  Maria  Vladimirova ;  and  even 
more  memorable  is  the  moment  when  there  rose  suddenly  upon 
me  the  moon-like  loveliness  of  Anastasia  Eomanova,  or  Eomanof ! 
It  was  then  that  amazement  startled  me  into  a  momentary  dis- 
loyalty to  my  own  beautiful  princess,  and  as  we  suddenly  encoun- 
tered the  Eomanof  boyarishnya  I  exclaimed  to  Vera  : 

'  Oh,  look,  Vera ;  look  !     We  may  be  safe  yet ! ' 

It  was  indeed  a  vision  of  beauty  and  true  grace,  and  Vera  was 
no  whit  offended  or  amused  by  my  admiration  for  this  other.  On 
the  contrary,  I  think  she  was  honestly  delighted  to  see  every 
beautiful  face  that  we  came  across,  as  increasing  her  own  chance 
of  escape. 

During  the  preliminary  stage  of  the  Tsar's  personal  review  of 
the  maidens  submitted  to  his  consideration,  he  appeared  to  have 
little  difficulty  in  making  up  his  mind  at  least  as  to  which  of 
1  hose  present  were  altogether  unworthy  ;  many  did  not  receive  a 
second  glance,  some  were  scarcely  blessed  with  one.  Eassing 
along  the  ranks  of  the  selected  maidens,  Ivan  signified  his 
approval  of  about  one  in  four  of  these  by  a  slight  bow,  the  lady 
so  honoured  considering  herself  thereby  qualified  to  present  her- 
self at  the  second  stage  of  the  Tsar's  selection,  which  was  to  be 
held  on  the  following  day.  Those  who  received  no  imperial  bow 
retired,  forming,  doubtless,  their  own  opinions  as  to  the  qualifica- 
tion of  the  young  Tsar  to  adjudicate  in  the  matter  of  female 
attractions. 

There  were  still  500  girls  left  in  the  competition,  however,  for 
the  second  stage,  and  these  doubtless  formed  a  higher  opinion  of 
the  Tsars  good  taste  than  the  rejected.  Olga  Kosinsky  was  one 
of  those  qualified  to  be  inspected  a  second  time,  and,  of  course, 
mv  splendid  Vera  was  another.  Vera  looked  radiantly  beautiful, 
and  was  one  of  the  very  few  upon  whom  the  Tsar  smiled  as  he 
bowed. 

The  general  lon.^ensus  of  opinion  seemed  to  be.  after  this  first 
weeding-out  of  the  ranks  of  beauty,  that  the  three  most  pre- 
eiftinent  in  loveliness  of  all  those  assembled  to  court  the  Tsar's 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  427 

regard  were  the  Vladimirova  boyarishnya,  Anastasia  Romanof, 
and  my  princess ;  though  some  preferred  one  and  seme  another, 
and  Olga  had  her  admirers  as  well  as  others. 

Audrey  Krilof  was  wild  with  exuberant  delight.  So  many 
were  the  compliments  and  so  gross  the  flattery  poured  out  upon 
him  on  behalf  of  his  beautiful  sister,  that  he  almost  regarded  her 
as  the  chosen  Tsaritsa  already,  and  rallied  me  upon  the  faint  ness 
of  my  hopes  in  that  quarter. 

'  There  is  time  yet,'  I  said,  '  for  many  things,  and  500  maidens 
still  remain  to  choose  from  ! ' 

But  after  the  second  day,  when  but  100  girls  remained  of 
those  qualified  to  reappear  a  third  time.  Vera  being  still  one  of 
these,  Andrey  was  even  more  jubilant,  and  bade  me  make  up  mv 
mind  that  Vera  was  no  longer  for  such  as  me. 

'  On  the  day  that  Vera  is  Tsaritsa,'  1  said,  '  I  shall  chastise  the 
Tsar's  brother-in-law.  That  will  be  a  new  glory  to  me,  as  well  as 
the  usual  pleasure ! '  Andrey  only  laughed,  and  said  we  must 
both  deal  with  new  circumstances  when  they  should  arise  ;  words 
were  foolish  things. 

I  met  my  cousin  Pavel  Prohorof  on  the  third  day,  and  he  was 
very  miserable,  for  Olga  llosinsky  was  still  among  those  in  the 
unrejected  list,  and  the  Tsar  had  even  smiled  upon  her. 

But  on  the  fourth  day,  whether  by  accident  or  of  set  purpose, 
poor  Olga  slipped  on  the  stairs  of  the  Hosinsky  mansion  and  fell, 
bruising  her  face  so  that  she  presented  quite  a  miserable  appear- 
ance. She  was  made  to  look  as  presentable  as  possible,  however, 
by  the  old  prince  her  father,  and  was  Benl  in  among  the  rest  of 
the  fifty  now  remaining,  with  a  black  handkerchief  tied  round 
her  cheek,  as  though  suffering  from  toothache.  The  Tsar 
frowned  when  he  saw  her,  and  then  laughed  and  passed  on, 
remarking  that  he  would  have  no  wife  with  aching  teeth,  and 
forthwith  instructed  his  '  zoobnoy  vrach,*  or  dentist,  to  pay  more 
particular  attention,  in  the  matter  of  teeth,  to  all  those  maidens 
still  remaining  with  living  chances.  And  so  Olga  Hosinskv, 
whose  teeth  were  in  reality  magnificent,  passed  in  safety  from  the 
competition,  to  the  bitter  disappointment  of  the  old  prince  and 
the  acute  delight  of  my  good  cousin  Pavel,  who  has  since  made 
her  an  excellent  husband. 

And  now  there  were  but  twenty  maidens  left  to  choose  from 
and  soon  these  were  reduced  to  ten,  and  still  my  Vera  was  a  living 
chance.  The  Tsar,  whenever  I  met  him  during  this  time,  avoided 
my  glance  and  made  as  though  he  did  not  see  me:  and  as  for 

o  a  2 


428  A  BOYAR  OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

his  attitude  towards  Vera,  in  trie  ceremonies  connected  with  his 
now  very  deliberate  process  of  selection,  it  was  such  as  to  give  no 
hope  but  that  her  chance  of  being  the  chosen  Tsaritsa  was  at 
least  as  great  as  any.  It  was  impossible  for  Vera  to  look  any- 
thing but  magnificent,  or  to  act  and  speak  otherwise  than  proudly 
and  grandly ;  she  could  never  condescend  to  such  undignified 
subterfuges  as  that  adopted  by  pretty  Olga  Hosinsky.  Vera 
would  have  scorned  to  appear  other  than  she  was,  and  therefore 
the  Tsar  saw  her,  as  I  did — the  loveliest  and  the  proudest  of  her 
sex ;  and  when  the  ten  were  reduced  to  five,  and  these  again, 
after  much  careful  consideration  and  consultation  with  parents, 
and  guardians,  and  doctors,  to  three,  my  princess  was  still  one  of 
those  who  were  as  yet  equal  in  the  favour  of  the  Tsar. 

Of  these,  the  Eomanof  boyarishnya  was,  some  said,  the  likeliest 
to  retain  that  favour  to  the  end ;  though  others  declared  that 
Vera  Krilof  s  chances  were  equally  high,  and  a  few  even  pinned 
their  faith  to  the  attractions  of  the  Vladimirova.  This  latter  was 
a  haughty,  bold,  disagreeable  woman,  and  it  was  freely  said  that 
if  the  young  Tsar  should  choose  her  as  his  bride,  the  Court  would 
not  be  a  pleasant  place  to  abide  in.  She  was  arrogant  and  rude 
to  all  she  came  in  contact  with,  though  obsequious  and  flattering 
towards  the  Tsar  himself;  and  her  attitude  towards  Vera  and 
Anastasia  Eomanof  was  ill-mannered  to  a  degree.  The  Komanof 
boyarishnya,  on  the  contrary,  was  a  very  charming  personality ; 
serious  and  religious,  gentle,  honest,  sweet  and  kindly  to  all, 
modest,  and  most  beautiful.  As  for  Vera's  own  attitude  towards 
the  Tsar,  it  is  a  matter  of  wonder  to  me  to  this  very  day  how  the 
passionate  Ivan  tolerated  it,  and  even  seemed  to  take  a  delight  in 
it,  excepting  that  he  was  known  to  be  ever  an  ardent  admirer  of 
the  high  spirit.  For  Vera — proud  Vera — made  no  secret  of  her 
aversion  to  him  personally,  and  of  her  disinclination  to  be  chosen 
to  the  supreme  dignity.  When  the  Tsar  spoke  to  or  questioned 
her,  she  replied  civilly  but  coldly,  pointing  out — when  oppor- 
tunity offered — the  superior  merits  of  the  Eomanof  and  Vladimirof 
maidens.  Ivan  would  occasionally  frown  and  stamp  his  foot  at 
her,  an  action  which  never  evoked  more  than  a  haughty  glance 
from  her  eyes,  and  a  curl  of  the  lip. 

When  there  were  none  but  these  three  beautiful  creatures 
still  competing,  they  were  removed  to  the  palace  and  accommo- 
dated with  apartments  there,  being  placed  in  a  room  together, 
having  a  sitting-chamber  attached. 

This  move  proved  extremely  awkward  for  my  purposes,  and 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  4=9 

almost  drove  me  to  despair,  for  I  knew  not  how  now  to  communi- 
cate witli  Vera,  nor  how  to  carry  her  off  at  the  last  moment,  if  it 
should  indeed  come  to  this,  that  I  must  escape  with  her. 

It  appeared  that  the  Tsar  had  his  own  end  in  view  when  he 
caused  the  three  maidens  to  be  removed  to  the  palace,  and  this 
end  was  to  obtain  secretly  an  insight  into  the  character  and  dis- 
position of  each,  by  listening  to  their  conversation,  when  they 
should  be  unaware  of  his  presence. 

In  this  way  it  happened  that  the  Vladimirova,  whose  tongue 
was  ever  a  sharp  and  disagreeable  member,  ruined  her  chance  at 
the  last  by  the  unkindness  of  her  bearing  towards  the  other  two. 
For  in  the  midst  of  a  furious  wordy  onslaught  upon  the  beautiful 
Anastasia  Komanof,  during  which  her  cruel  remarks  and  accusa- 
tions had  reduced  that  gentle  maiden  to  tears,  the  Tsar  opened  a 
door  in  the  tapestry  and  greatly  astonished  the  Vladimirova  by 
requesting  her  to  withdraw  forthwith  from  the  competition  ;  for, 
said  he,  so  ungentle  a  nature  as  hers  would  form  no  proper  com- 
plement to  his  own,  which  was  all  too  rough  already.  Thus  the 
Vladimirova  returned  to  her  home,  to  deplore  for  ever  her  un- 
charitable tongue  ;  and  Vera  and  the  Romanova  were  left  alone  to 
compete  for  the  ultimate  favour  of  the  Tsar. 

And  now  happened  that  for  which  I  bless,  and  have  ever 
blessed,  the  name  of  Anastasia  Komanof,  the  beautiful  and  gentle 
bride  of  our  Tsar ;  the  late  beloved  empress  of  this  land,  to  whose 
goodness  and  wisdom — as  all  admit — my  master  is  indebted  for 
many  years  of  happiness  and  of  comparative  freedom  from  those 
terrible  fury-fits  which  have  gained  for  him,  since  her  death,  the 
title  of  'cruel'  and  '  terrible  ' ;  and  to  whose  intelligence  at  this 
time  T,  too,  owe  all  that  I  hold  most  dear  in  this  life. 

After  the  Vladimirova  candidate  had  disappeared,  and  Vera  and 
Anastasia  Komanof  were  left  alone,  it  seems  that  my  Vera,  for  once 
in  her  life,  broke  down,  and  wept  in  Anastasia's  arms,  and  implored 
her  to  do  what  she  could  to  save  her  from  the  fate  she  dreaded. 

'  The  issue,'  said  the  Romanof  boyarishnjja,  kissing  her 
tcinh-rly  and  soothing  her,  '  is  in  God's  hands,  and  He  does  all 
things  well.     Do  you  not  love  the  young  Tsar,  my  pretty  one?' 

'  Less  than  the  lowest  of  his  subjects  ! '  cried  Vera,  sobbing  : 
•  and  you,  I  can  see,  love  him  truly  and  well.     Is  it  not  BO?  ' 

'Oh,  how  well ! '  said  Anastasia  ;  '  I  would  die  for  him  ! ' 

1  And  I  would  die  rather  than  have  him,'  sobbed  Vera ;  '  never 
was  woman  more  welcome  to  lover  than  you  are  to  him  and  to 
his  throne ! ' 


43o  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

'  Nay,  but  the  issue  is  not  in  our  hands ;  let  God  choose  her 
who  is  best  suited  to  be  Tsaritsa  of  this  great  empire ;  and  if  Ivan, 
our  dear  sovereign,  should  deign  to  select  either  of  us  two,  let  that 
one  joyfully  and  humbly  acquiesce,  and  do  her  best  to  fulfil  her 
new  and  great  destiny.' 

'  That  I  shall  never  do,'  said  Vera,  setting  her  face.  '  If  I 
were  chosen,  then  either  he  or  I  should  die  rather  than  our 
marriage  take  place  ! ' 

'  Oh,  fie,  fie  ! '  cried  Anastasia — '  and  thou  art  so  beautiful  and 
so  haughty  and  proud — an  ideal  Tsaritsa  as  all  declare ;  far  more 
like  an  empress  than  poor  I ;  in  truth,  Vera,  I  believe  Heaven  has 

already  chosen  thee  for  this  great  office ' 

'  Nonsense  ! '  said  Vera,  '  the  Tsar  and  I  could  never  agree ;  it 
is  such  as  thee  that  the  Tsar  requires  to  make  him  a  contented 
and  a  happy  man.  He  would  kill  me  in  a  week,  or  I  him  !  Your 
gentleness  will  soothe  and  tame  his  roughness,  like  oil  on  troubled 
waters  ;  you  may  save  the  Tsar  by  marrying  him.  I  could  never 
do  that ;  I  should  drive  him  mad,  and  he  would  kill  me  with  that 
spike  of  his.  And,  besides  all  this,  I  ask  you,  for  the  love  of  God, 
to  save  me  from  this  husband,  for  my  heart  has  another  husband.' 
;  Alas  !  what  can  I  do  ?  '  cried  gentle  Anastasia  ;  '  the  issue  is 
not  mine,  but  God's  and  his.  I  love  none  but  him ;  yet  if  I  did, 
I  think  I  should  forget  that  which  was  private,  and  belonged  to 
the  former  time,  in  this  great  and  new  destiny.  Expel  this  old 
love,  Vera  ;  and — should  you  be  so  far  blessed — welcome  the  new. 
Can  you  listen  to  the  voice  of  Heaven— of  Eussia — of  this  god- 
like young  Tsar,  and  refuse  to  hear  it  ? ' 

'  To  me  there  is  nothing  godlike  in  the  call,'  said  Vera  ;  '  the 
voice  of  love  is,  for  me,  the  voice  of  God.  If  you  feel  thus  in  the 
matter,  Anastasia  Eomanova,  it  is  your  clear  duty  to  marry  the 
Tsar  !  ' 

'  Alas !  how  gladly  would  I  do  so,  were  he  to  choose  me — but 
lie  may  choose  thee  instead;  and  when  I  look  upon  thee,  Vera 
Pet  rovna,  I  tell  myself  with  tears  that  he  were  wise  to  do  so  ! ' 

'  I  will  teach  you,'  said  Vera,  '  how  it  may  be  brought  about 
that  he  shall  choose  you,  and  must  choose  you,  because  there  will 
be  none  other  to  choose.' 

'  No,  no — a  thousand  times  ! '  sobbed  Anastasia  ;  '  the  Tsar's 
choice  shall  be  a  free  one.  I  will  do  nothing  to  hinder  it,  even 
though  my  life  depend — as  I  believe  it  does — upon  his  love  ! ' 

'  Even  if  I  swear  to  thee,  Anastasia,  that  I  will  never  wed  this 
man,  and  that  he  or  I  must  perish  if  I  am  chosen  ?    Now,  listen — 


ABOYAR   01    THE    TERRIBLE.  i.;< 

I  do  swear  it,  by  all  I  hold  most  dear !  I  swear  it,  by  the  love  I 
bear  to  my  own  lover;  if  Ivan  chooses  me  for  his  bride,  and  it 
comes  near  to  marriage  between  us.  either  he  dies  or  I  die,  and 
the  fault  will  he  thine,  for  thou  canst  help  me  out  of  this  difficulty, 
if  thou  desire  it.' 

'  ill  i\o  so.'  said  Anastasia,  weeping,  '  is  it  for  the  Tsar's  good  ? 
Are  you  sure  of  this  before  Heaven?' 

'Before  J  leaven,  for  his  good,  in  very  truth!  Nay,  for  his 
salvation,  his  very  life,  his  happiness — everything;  and  mine  and 
your  own,  too,  Anastasia! ' 

'  My  own  is  nothing  ! '  she  sobbed. 

:  His  then,' Vera  repeated;  '  you  will  act  for  his  good;  you 
will  save  the  Tsar.' 

1  You  are  sure  of  this  ? ' 

'  Absolutely.  Ho  as  I  desire,  and  the  Tsar  lives  and  loves  and 
is  happy ;  refuse  me,  and  allow  him  to  take  me  for  his  bride, 
and  I  swear  to  you  t  hat  he  can  neither  love  me  nor  be  happy,  nor 
even  live,  for  I  myself  will  kill  him,  or  he  me.' 

Anastasia  shuddered  and  crossed  herself.  'Tel!  me  what  to  do, 
and  I  will  do  it  !  '  she  said. 

Then  the  two  maidens  put  their  head.;  together,  with  the  re- 
sult thai  the  Komanof  /"'''''  '"/''  soon  retired  to  her  bed, 
Hushed  and  trembling  and  pleading  iiloe>s;  an.il  that  Vera  caused 
a  letter  to  be  delivered  to  me  by  a  trusty  messenger,  bidding  me 
pass  myself  into  the  palace  as  a  doctor  summoned  by  herself  on 
behalf  of  Anastasia,  who  felt  herself  grievously  indisposed. 

As  for  me,  being  half  mad  with  the  helplessness  and  anxiety 
of  my  position  during  these  last  few  days — for  Vera,  having  been 
removed  to  the  palace,  our  plans  of  escape  had  all  been  nipped  in 
the  bud — my  heart  rejoiced  exceedingly  when  I  received  Vera's 
message,  for  I  knew  that  she  had  devised  some  new  plan  by  which 
to  escape  thus,  at  the  last  moment,  the  meshes  of  the  surrounding 
net. 

Within  live  minute-  F  had  borrowed  from  one  of  our  yerfs  the 
kaftan  of  a  peasant  of  Perm,  the  long  leather  boots,  and  a  fur  cap 
>vered  more  than  half  of  my  face;  the  collar  of  the  kaftan 
concealed  the  lower  portion  of  my  countenance.  And  thus  \rre- 
pared  I  went  at  once  t<>  the  palace  within  the  Kremlin  wall  and 
demanded  admittance  as  the  znahar:  ",  wi  e-man  of  Kamka. 
stating  that  my  mater.  Prince  Andrey  Krilof,  had  heard  a 
rumour  that  there  wa  illnesi  within  the  apartments  occupied 
by  his  sister,  and  had  therefore  desired  me.  the  family  leech,  to 


432  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

investigate  the  matter,  and  in  case  of  necessity  to  attend  to  her 
ailments,  since  I  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  her  constitution 
and  was  accustomed  to  treat  her  when  at  home  at  our  own  village. 
By  this  means  I  was  allowed  access  to  the  princess,  though  the 
doorkeeper  and  others  laughed  arrogantly  at  my  appearance  and 
mission;  for  they  had  seen  foreign  doctors,  of  late,  about  the 
Court,  and  had  already  begun  to  look  down  upon  plain  Kussian 
costumes  and  unassuming  Eussian  znahars ;  but  the  laugh  went 
the  other  way  before  they  were  many  hours  older. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE   ROMANOF. 


As  I  passed  through  the  rooms  and  passages  which  lay  between 
the  front  entrance  and  the  apartments  occupied  by  the  maidens 
still  in  competition  I  caught  sight  of  young  Tsar  Ivan,  drinking 
and  playing  chess  with  some  of  his  favourite  companions.  He 
looked  flushed  and  angry,  and  spoke  in  loud  tones,  and  I  judged 
that  the  fortune  of  the  game  had  gone  against  him,  or  that  he 
had  taken  indiscreetly  of  the  wine  upon  the  table ;  for  at  this 
time  Ivan  was  given  to  intemperate  habits  of  self-indulgence — 
habits  which  the  companionship  and  influence  of  gentle  Anastasia 
Romanof  afterwards  modified  most  beneficially. 

In  the  chamber  of  the  maidens  I  found  my  Vera  awaiting  me, 
pale  and  agitated.  She  received  me  distantly,  as  though  fearful 
of  observation,  but  whispered  that  I  must  take  no  notice,  since 
the  Tsar  might  be  listening  and  watching  from  behind  the 
tapestries,  as  he  was  known  to  do ;  but  I  reassured  her  by  saying 
that  I  had  seen  him  at  play  with  his  boyars. 

'  Then  we  may  speak  freely,'  said  Vera  ;  '  and  first  let  me  tell 
you,  that  when  you  go  forth  this  evening  from  the  palace  I  must 
go  with  you,  Sasha,  or  we  are  lost ! ' 

*  Then  you  shall  come,  if  I  die  for  it ! '  I  said ;  '  come  at 
once ! ' 

'  Xot  so,'  said  Vera ;  '  there  must  be  no  force  or  noise,  but  only 
cunning ;  force  would  not  avail  us  here,  not  even  the  prowess  of 
my  Sasha  Stroganof ! ' 

'  Speak  on,  then,'  I  said ;  '  what  have  you  in  your  mind  ?  ' 

1  The  boyarishnya  Eomanof,  my  only  rival,  is  sick  in  the 
chamber  adjoining;   she  is  really  ill  with  excitement  and  the 


A    BOYAR    OF   THE    TERR  HUE.  433 

shock  of  what  I  have  told  her — namely,  that  I  shall  escape  to- 
night and  leave  the  victory  with  her.  But  in  her  sickness  is  our 
salvation.  You.  as  leech,  can  insist  upon  my  removal,  lest  Anas- 
tasia's  illness  prove  dangerous  and  infectious.  The  Tsar  will  make 
no  difficulty,  if  persuaded  that  there  is  danger.  What  think  you 
of  the  plan  ?  ' 

'  The  plan  is  good.'  I  said ;  '  but  who  is  to  persuade  the  Tsar 
of  this  ?     Me  he  would  recognise.' 

'  I  will  send  the  woman  who  attends  us — she  is  with  the 
Komanowi,'  said  Vera;  'come  you  in  now,  as  znaluir  and  leech, 
and  frighten  her ;  and  she  will  frighten  the  Tsar.' 

So  together  Vera  and  I  passed  into  the  next  room,  where  lay 
the  beautiful  Anastasia.  flushed  and  panting,  tended  by  the  old 
Russian  nurse,  her  own  body-servant.  I  could  see  at  a  glance 
that  there  was  nothing  the  matter  with  the  maiden  excepting 
agitation,  which  my  presence  greatly  increased.  Nevertheless,  I 
sent  the  nurse  with  word  to  the  Tsar  that  the  boyarishnya  was 
sick,  and  that  Princess  Krilof  must  be  separated  from  her,  and  I 
listened  at  the  open  door  as  she  went  with  her  message.  I  could 
distinctly  hear  the  loud,  heightened  tones  of  the  angry  Ivan,  as 
he  conversed  with  the  old  woman.  His  luck  at  play  must  have 
been  very  bad,  for  he  was  ruder  and  more  violent  than  I  had  yet 
heard  him,  and  in  his  excitement  he  showed  his  mind  more,  per- 
haps, than  he  knew — his  mind,  that  is,  of  the  moment.  For  after 
the  old  nurse  had  delivered  her  message,  I  heard  him  shout  at 
her,  and  say : 

;  Which  of  the  two  is  ill,  you  hag?  That  is  the  point — quick, 
speak.' 

And  after  the  nurse  had  spoken — 

'All!  the  Komanof.  I  would  with  all  my  heart  it  were 
that  she-devil.  She  may  die  for  me,  when  she  pleases,  am! 
the  devil  have  his  own ;  and  she  would  depart  lest  the  Komanof 
infect  her — ha!  that  is  good!  lest  the  Eomanof  infect  her!  Now 
depart  from  me,  before  I  kill  you,  you  hag ;  stay,  tell  the  she- 
devil  Krilof  to  go  quickly  where  she  will ;  I  desire  not  to  set  eyes 
upon  her  again.  Let  her  be  away  in  five  minutes,  before  I  come 
to  Bee  what  ails  my  Tsaritsa  ! ' 

Back  came  the  trembling  and  frightened  Marfa  with  her 
message,  which  she  delivered  to  Vera  in  a  modified  form;  and 
away  sped  my  princess  and  I  out  of  the  palace  into  the  night, 
confused,  and  only  half  realising  the  sudden  and  instant  success 
of  our  plan  of  escape.     For  in  truth  neither  she  nor  I  had  accu- 


434  A   BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

rately  gauged  the  Tsar's  mind  in  this  matter ;  nor  do  I  wholly 
understand  to  this  day  his  attitude  towards  Vera  during  that  long 
and  agitating  period  of  bride-selecting.  It  is  not  my  opinion  that 
his  real  preference  was  ever  in  doubt ;  but  it  is  probable  that  other 
considerations  besides  preference  influenced  him,  and  that  this 
was  why  he  wavered  in  the  balance  between  the  haughtiness  of 
Vera  and  the  gentleness  of  Anastasia ;  and  that  he  chose  the 
latter  in  a  moment  of  wrath  as  the  more  peaceful  haven  for  so 
turbulent  a  spirit  as  his  own,  showing  thereby  his  wisdom  and 
sagacity.  But  Vera  suggested  that  he  intended  from  the  first  to 
choose  the  Komanof,  and  that  he  deliberately  kept  her  (Vera)  in 
suspense,  in  order  to  punish  and  subdue  her  for  her  haughty 
spirit  in  openly  avowing  her  disinclination  to  be  chosen  by  him ; 
perhaps  also  he  desired  to  punish  me  for  my  presumption  in 
appealing  to  him,  as  I  had  done,  to  leave  me  my  ewe  lamb.  I 
have  reason  to  believe  that  Vera  entertained  in  the  secret  depths 
of  her  heart  other  opinions  on  the  matter ;  but  it  was  ever  a 
subject  which  she  disliked  to  discuss.  However  this  may  have 
been,  it  is  certain  that,  on  the  following  day,  Anastasia  Komanof — 
now  happily  restored  to  health — was  proclaimed  the  chosen  of  the 
Tsar,  and  homage  was  done  to  her  by  all,  as  to  the  Tsaritsa  elect. 
As  for  my  Vera,  her  crestfallen  brother  An  drey  left  Moscow  with 
her  the  same  day,  by  order  of  the  Tsar,  to  return  to  Molebsk ;  for 
it  now  appeared  that  his  Majesty  was  as  anxious  to  see  her  no 
more  as  he  had  formerly  seemed  attracted  by  her ;  and  there  are 
those  who  hold  that  Ivan  was  afraid  of  being  influenced  by  her 
amazing  beauty  to  change  his  mind  at  the  last  moment  in  spite 
of  his  better  judgment.  As  for  me,  I  sometimes  think — knowing 
my  great  master  as  I  do,  and  understanding  better  than  most 
how  noble  a  spirit  was  concealed  beneath  that  rugged  and 
passionate  exterior — I  sometimes  think  that  he  was  indeed  in 
love  with  Vera,  against  his  own  inclinations,  and  that  out  of  an 
honourable  desire  to  accede  to  my  petition  he  did  violence  to  his 
own  feelings,  recognising  that  he  had  deliberately  fallen  under 
the  spell  of  Vera's  beauty  without  intending  at  the  first  to  do 
more  than  punish  me  and  her  for  our  presumption ;  and  in  this 
opinion  I  have  at  times  received  remarkable  confirmation,  even 
from  the  highest  source. 

If  it  be  so,  this  would  account  for  his  great  and  lasting 
auger  against  me,  which  has  been  a  cause  of  deep  grief  to  me  for 
many  years,  and  is  still  a  regretful  memory,  even  though  in  his 
later  years  my  master  and  I  were  inseparable  companions,  and  all 


.-/   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  435 

was  forgiven  between  us.  None  ever  guessed  or  supposed  that  I 
had  acted  leech,  or  rather  the  village  wise-man,  on  that  last  even- 
ing of  doubt  and  danger.  If  the  Tsar  had  known  this,  he  would 
never  have  forgiven  rne ;  and  since  the  deception  led  to  every 
good  result,  and  to  no  evil,  who  would  blame  the  gentle  Tsaritsa 
for  her  very  slight  share  in  it,  and  for  not  delivering  Vera  and 
me  into  the  hands  of  the  Tsar  ?  No  woman  in  the  world  could 
have  made  a  better  wife  to  Ivan  than  did  this  Anastasia  Romanof.1 
Oh  that  she  had  Lived  as  long  as  he ! 

1  The  Anastasia  Romanof  mentioned  in  Boyai  Stroganof's  reminiscences  as 
the  wife  of  Ivan  the  Terrible  was  the  first  of  the  Romanof  family  to  come  into 
prominence  in  Russian  history,  though,  as  Destiny  ruled  it,  she  was  not  the  pro- 
genitrix of  the  Romanof  Dynasty,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  she  was  the  first  of 
that  name  to  occupy,  conjointly  with  her  husband,  the  throne  of  Russia.  Anas- 
tasia bore  sons  to  Ivan ;  but  of  these  the  second  only  survived  and  succeeded  his 
father:  Feodor,  a  youth  of  weak  intellect,  who  required  no  less  than  five  Regents 
to  assist  him  in  guiding  the  Slap  of  the  State.  Feodor  died  without  issue,  and 
in  him  perished  politically,  for  the  time  being,  the  line  of  Romanof,  while  that  of 
Rurik  collapsed  finally.  As  for  the  Komanofs,  who  had  Hashed  suddenly  into 
prominence  in  the  person  of  Anastasia,  at  Feodor's  death  the  family  retired  once 
more  into  obscurity :  while  for  fifteen  years  the  affairs  of  the  State  were  mis- 
managed  by  the  boyars.  Hut  suddenly,  by  a  turn  of  Fortune'.-,  wheel,  the  house 
of  Romanof  once  more  came  to  the  front.  Anastasia's  brother  Nikita,  brother- 
in-law  and  favourite  of  Ivan  the  Terrible,  had  been  a  popular  character  in  his 
day.  This  popularity  lie  transmitted  to  his  son  Feodor.  better  known  as  the 
Abbot  Filaret ;  and  when  the  Russian  people  grew  tired  of  the  boyar-rule  of  the 
last  fifteen  years,  which  was  another  way  of  >pulling  anarchy,  and  clamoured  for 
a  Dynasty  and  a  settled  state  of  affairs,  Feodor's  young  son,  Michael  Romanof, 
was  unanimously  chosen  to  be  Tsar  bf  Russia,  and  the  real  founder  of  the  Great 
Dynasty  which  still  maintains  its  firm  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  the  Russian  people. 
1  append  a  shortened  pedigree  of  the  House  of  Romanof, showing  how  Stroganofs 
friend,  Anastasia  Romanof,  was  related  to, though  not  the  founder  of, the  present 
Dynasty. 

Boyar  Roman  Yurevitch  Zacharin.      (Born  about  1500.) 


Anastasia  Romanovna.  Nikita  Romanovitch, 

Wife  of  Ivan  the  Terrible.  j 

I  .   (dor  (Abbot  Filaret). 
Feodor  (Tsar),  d.  1598.  | 

(End  of  Rurik  Dynasty. )  Michael  (  Firsl  Romanof  Tsar),  ace.  1613. 

I 
Alexey. 

Peter  the  Great. 

I 
Anna. 

1 
Raul. 

1 

Nicholas  I. 

zander  II. 

I 
Alexander  III. 

I 
Nicholas  II. 


436  A   BO  YAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  r 

I  was  unwilling  to  leave  Moscow  without  at  least  paying  my 
respects  to  the  Tsar  and  to  his  newly  elected  bride.  I  therefore 
remained  behind,  promising  Vera  that  I  would  ride  quickly  after 
her  party  as  soon  as  the  necessary  courtesies  should  have  been 
accomplished.  There  was  a  great  reception  at  the  palace  in 
honour  of  the  Tsaritsa  elect,  and  the  beautiful  Eomanof  looked 
more  radiantly  beautiful,  in  her  own  moon-like  loveliness,  than 
ever  before,  being  now  supremely  and  absolutely  happy ;  and  this 
not,  as  I  firmly  believe,  by  reason  of  a  gratified  ambition,  but 
rather  in  the  fruition  of  her  love-dream.  None  who  beheld  her 
that  day  could  rest  for  a  moment  in  doubt  as  to  the  all-absorbing 
nature  of  her  love  for  young  Tsar  Ivan,  whom  she  followed  with 
her  eyes  wheresoever  he  went  and  came,  seeming  to  think  nothing 
of  the  throngs  of  boyarins  and  boyarinyas  who  surrounded  and 
flattered  and  complimented  her,  or  rather  to  have  no  time  to 
devote  to  them  if  the  Tsar  were  in  the  room,  since  all  her  atten- 
tion must  then  go  to  gaining  a  look  or  a  smile  from  him.  To 
my  own  congratulations  she  made  an  automatic  reply  without 
glancing  at  me  ;  but  when — out  of  curiosity,  and  perhaps  in  the 
spirit  of  mischief — I  asked  her  softly  whether  her  feverish 
symptoms  had  abated  since  the  previous  evening,  she  flushed 
deeply,  and  starting,  gazed  quickly  in  my  face. 

'  Are  you  the  beloved  of  the  Krilova  ?  '  she  asked  me. 

'  I  am  her  lover,'  I  said. 

'  Tell  her  that,  though  I  stand  in  the  place  which  is  hers  by 
right,  for  she  is  far  more  beautiful  than  I,  it  is  better  so  than  that 
he  should  marry  one  who  dares  to  speak  of  him  as  she  spoke  last 
night.  Tell  her  I  have  thought  of  her  and  her  terrible  words  all 
night,  and  wept  for  her,  and  prayed  for  her  unruly  spirit.  What 
is  your  name  ?  ' 

'  Alexander  Stroganof,'  said  I. 

'  Then  I  will  pray  for  you  also,  Alexander  Stroganof,  lest  in 
her  turbulence  of  spirit  she  grow  angry  with  you,  and  do  with  you 
as  she  threatened  to  do  with  him.' 

'  But  I  am  not  the  Tsar  Ivan,'  I  said,  surprised  ;  '  she  loves  me 
well,  and  it  is  on  my  behalf  that  she  is  against  the  Tsar.' 

'  But  such  a  spirit  as  hers  may  change  suddenly  and  without 
warning,  therefore  I  shall  pray  for  your  safety  and  her  sanity," 
said  Anastasia.  '  And  now,  if  she  be  still  in  Moscow,  take  her 
hence,  I  entreat  you,  boyar ;  for,  since  last  night,  I  have  no  peace 
because  of  her.     I  fear  her  for  my  Tsar's  sake.' 

Poor  Vera  had  evidently  succeeded  in  very  completely  terrify- 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 


437 


ing  this  gentle,  beautiful  creature,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the 
intensity  of  her  relief  when  I  informed  her  that  my  formidable 
princess  had  already  left  Moscow. 

'  Oh,  thank  God  ! '  she  said ;  '  He  has  already  heard  my 
prayer !  ' 

The  young  Tsar,  when  he  caught  sight  of  me,  peered  instantly 
about  among  the  crowd,  looking,  as  I  felt  sure,  for  Vera,  in  case 
she  should  also  be  present.  When  he  did  not  find  her,  he  frowned, 
and  was  gloomy  for  the  rest  of  the  morning.  Did  he  wish  to  find 
her  there,  in  spite  of  his  own  order  to  her  to  depart  at  once  ?  In 
all  truth  I  know  not.  Yet  if,  by  some  chance,  or  by  the  perver- 
sity of  destiny  or  of  Vera's  temper,  she  had  remained  for  this  day 
in  order  to  attend  the  reception,  what  would  have  happened  ? 
Again  I  say,  I  know  not  at  all.  Perhaps  the  sight  of  my  most 
beautiful  princess  would  have  upset  the  Tsar's  mind  once  more, 
so  that  he  would  have  thrown  all  prudence  to  the  winds,  rejected 
the  Romanova  in  the  moment  of  her  triumph,  and  replaced  her 
with  a  bride  whose  heart  was  in  nowise  his  own  ;  but,  no,  this 
could  never  have  happened !  Nevertheless,  it  was  good  for  all 
concerned  that  Vera  and  her  fascinations  were  absent  on  that 
day. 

The  Tsar  spoke  to  me,  but  he  was  angry,  and  his  demeanour 
was  not  friendly. 

'Ha,  Stroganof!'  he  said,  pretending  to  see  me  for  the  first 
time.     '  When  do  you  return  to  Perm  ?  ' 

'  I  start  to-morrow,  Tsar,'  I  said. 

I  Very  well,'  said  he,  '  there  is  a  tiger-cat  already  on  the  road ; 
see  that  she  does  not  tear  out  your  eyes  ! 

I I  can  take  care  of  myself  wherever  I  go,'  I  said,  affecting  not 
to  comprehend  his  meaning,  '  against  men  or  devils.' 

'  Xever  mind  the  men,'  he  said,  '  but  beware  of  devils,  if  you 
are  wise,  especially  she-devils.' 

I  bowed.  It  was  useless  to  continue  such  a  conversation,  and 
I  was  withdrawing  in  order  to  depart  from  his  presence  ;  but  the 
Tsar  called  me  back,  his  voice  sounding  a  little  more  gentle  than 
before. 

1  Stop,  Stroganof,'  he  said  ;  '  tell  me,  shall  you  marry  forthwith 
down  in  your  own  country  ?  ' 

'  When  I  have  won  my  bride,'  I  said. 

'Is  she  not  won  already? '  asked  the  Tsar,  quicklv. 

'  She  is  won,  but  not  her  guardians,'  I  replied  unadvisedly. 

'  You  are  too  young  to  marry,  Sasha,'  he  said.     '  It  is  different 


438  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

for  the  Tsar ;  but  if  you  will  be  advised,  you  will  wait  a  year  or 
two.' 

I  laughed,  for  I  was  angry.  1 1  am  not  a  child,'  I  said,  '  but  a 
free  boyar,  and  my  Tsar  is  not  my  schoolmaster  ! '  Ivan  frowned 
and  stamped. 

'  (to,  then,'  he  said,  '  go  from  my  sight,  seek  your  tiger-cat, 
and  marry  whom  and  when  you  please  ;  you  are  nothing  to  me, 
you  that  might  have  been  the  Tsar's  friend  ! ' 

'  Ask  me  to  do  any  service  that  a  boyarin  of  Eussia  owes  to  his 
Tsar,  and  I  will  serve  you  to  the  last  drop  of  my  blood,'  I  said, 
'  Ivan  Vasilitch  ;  but  you  shall  not  be  my  taskmaster,  nor  I  your 
slave.  A  Stroganof  may  marry  or  give  in  marriage  without  asking 
permission,  excepting  of  the  lady's  parents  or  guardians.' 

'  And  what  if  the  Tsar  forbids  those  parents  or  guardians  to 
listen  to  the  proposals  of  a  disobedient  boyar  ?  '  said  Ivan,  looking 
very  black.  I  kept  my  eye  upon  his  staff,  for  I  did  not  desire  to 
have  my  foot  pinned  a  second  time  to  the  floor. 

'  Then  the  boyar  may  possibly  increase  the  measure  of  his  dis- 
obedience by  taking  his  affairs  into  his  own  hands,'  I  said,  and 
bowing,  withdrew  before  the  angry  Tsar  could  strike  me,  which  I 
think  he  otherwise  would  have  clone  at  that  moment. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A    LOST    PRINCESS. 


By  this  last  rudeness  I  made  for  myself  a  bitter  enemy  in  the 
Tsar,  who  pursued  me  relentlessly  with  his  ill-will  for  many  years 
from  this  time,  refusing  all  submission  from  me  and  every  attempt 
at  reconciliation. 

And  the  first  sign  of  this  state  of  things  showed  itself  soon 
after  my  return  to  Perm.  I  had  overtaken  Vera  and  her  brother, 
and  travelled  with  them  without  much  adventure  homewards,  and 
had  seen  my  beloved  princess  safely  restored  to  her  own  residence 
in  Molebsk ;  from  which  day  onwards  life  returned  for  us  into  its 
old  channels,  and  for  a  week  or  two  matters  went  on  exactly  as  in 
the  former  days  before  these  wild  excitements  of  imperial  bride- 
elections  had  arisen  to  mar  our  peace.  Perhaps  '  peace  '  is  scarcely 
the  word  to  use,  for  there  was  little  of  peace  between  myself  and 
the  brothers  Krilof,  whose   attitude   towards   me  was  no  more 


A   BO  YAK   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  439 

friendly  now  than  formerly,  but  rather  less  bo  ;  for  my  proud  Vera 
made  no  secret  of  how  she  had  treated  the  young  Tsar  with  no 
more  consideration  than  any  other  unwelcome  suitor,  and  the 
Krilofs  were  of  opinion  that,  had  Vera  chosen  to  exert  her  fasci- 
nations, or  even  to  act  with  passive  toleration  towards  the  Tsar,  he 
would  certainly  have  selected  her  instead  of  the  Romanof;  and, 
further,  that  she  had  thrown  away  her  chance  of  preferment  and 
all  the  dazzling  prospects  of  almost  certain  selection  as  Tsaritsa- 
elect,  out  of  a  perverse  and  childish  partiality  for  my  unworthy 
self,  a  mere  boyar,  and — worst  of  all — a  Stroganof.  Hence  I  was 
not  a  welcome  gue>t  at  Molebsk,  and  there  were  many  quarrels 
between  myself  and  these  young  men;  but  all  this  and  a  great 
deal  more  would  I  have  gladly  and  deliberately  undergone  for  the 
joy  of  occasionally  riding  out  with  my  princess,  and  of  hunting 
and  laughing  and  laying  plans  with  her  amid  the  solitudes  of  our 
beloved  pine  forests,  where  none  could  hear  our  confidences — 
neither  angry  brothers,  nor  tape-try-hidden  Tsars  ;  but  only  the 
solemn,  nodding  sentinel-pines,  that  heard  but  told  no  secrets, 
and  the  laughing  grouse,  which  heard  and  enjoyed  all,  but 
betrayed  us  only  to  its  own  kind  to  give  them  something  to 
laugh  at . 

But  when  spring  was  at  the  full  and  the  ice  on  the  Ramka  was 
rotting  daily,  so  that  I  expected  to  see  the  open  water  each  morn- 
ing, as  I  rode  towards  Molebsk  one  day  I  encountered  Vera,  some 
miles  from  home.  She  sat  dejectedly,  and  I  could  see  from  afar 
that  something  was  wrong,  and  she  mused  so  deeply  that  she  did 
not  see  us  until  Borka  leaped  up  at  her  and  whined,  having  run 
on  ahead  of  me  to  pay  her  this  court 

Then  Vera  told  me  the  news,  which  was   that    the  Tsar  had 

actually  sent  a  messenger  from  Moscow,  bearing  an  ookaz,  which 

forbade  the  marriage  for  a  term  of  two  years  of  such  of  the 

lad  remained  in  the  competition  up  to  the  last 

five  pi: 

'But  he  is  now  married — so  we  have  heard,5  I  said,  aghast. 

'  That  is  true,  and  the  messenger  does  not  dei.  Vera. 

'Then  by  what  right  does  this  Tsar  dictate  to  us  when  and 
whom  we  may  marry,' I  exclaimed;  'he  has  had  his  first  choice 
— is  that  not  enough  for  him  ?  ' 

'  The  Romanova  is  delicate,  the  messenger  Bays,'  explained 
Vera,  'and  may  possibly  fail  to  support  the  strain  of  her  new 
greatness  ;  he  thinks  the  Tsar  is  anxious  to  save  the  great  com- 
pany of  boyariehnui  the  trouble  of  re-selection,  in  case  of  acci- 


44o  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

dents,  and  prefers  to  retain  a  claim  upon  four  or  five  only  instead 
of  troubling  as  many  thousands.' 

'  It  is  monstrous,'  I  said,  '  and  ridiculous ;  I  acknowledge  no 
such  rights  of  the  Tsar  over  his  boyars.' 

'  Neither  do  I,'  said  Vera  ;  '  but  my  brothers  are  delighted.' 

'  That  of  course,'  I  replied,  flushing,  '  and  equally  of  course  we 
shall  respect  neither  Tsar's  oohaz  nor  brothers'  selfish  ambition 
when  the  proper  time  comes  ! ' 

'Certainly  not,'  she  said;  'but  what  if  they  lock  me  up,  as 
they  threaten,  in  order  to  keep  me  safe  from  interference  during 
these  two  years  ?  ' 

'They  dare  not;  I  will  come  like  a  fairy  prince  and  release 
you,'  I  cried.  '  Do  you  seriously  think  they  can  keep  me  from 
you,  Vera  ?  ' 

'  No,  I  do  not,'  she  said,  '  neither  they  nor  the  Tsar  ! ' 

All  this  was  comforting  to  our  feelings,  and  gave  us  hope  and 
mutual  confidence  ;  but,  though  we  parted  that  day  with  every- 
thing arranged  for  escaping  together  at  a  certain  hour  of  a 
morning  in  the  following  week,  and  getting  married  when  and 
wherever  we  could,  yet  our  boastful  belief  in  my  invincible  power 
to  do  as  I  pleased  was  destined  to  receive  a  rude  shock.  We  had 
arranged  to  meet  at  that  point  in  the  road  to  Moscow  where  the 
roads  from  Molebsk  and  Perm  converge,  and  to  ride  on  together 
a  fourteen  days'  journey  to  a  place  called  Ruchief,  where  we — or 
rather  Vera  and  her  party — had  put  up  at  the  house  of  the  priest 
during  her  journey  from  Viatka  after  the  preliminary  selection. 
Vera  had  greatly  befriended  this  poor  priest,  whose  wife  was  sick 
and  he  penniless,  and  we  relied  upon  the  gratitude  he  then  ex- 
pressed to  make  a  claim  upon  him  in  return  ;  in  a  word,  we  would 
request  him  to  many  us,  and  we  did  not  doubt  his  readiness  to 
comply  with  our  desires,  especially  as  we  should  support  these 
with  a  heavy  fee. 

But  when,  on  the  day  appointed,  I  rode  to  the  place  of  rendez- 
vous at  the  hour  fixed  for  our  meeting,  there  was  no  sign  of  Vera ; 
and  though  I  waited,  in  impatience  and  consternation,  for  half  the 
day,  she  did  not  appear. 

Then  I  rode  towards  Molebsk,  and  arrived  there  at  nightfall. 
The  little  town  consisted  but  of  a  few  small  houses  and  huts,  with 
the  Krilof  mansion  towering  white  and  huge  among  them,  and  I 
galloped  furiously  to  the  great  wooden  front  door  of  the  house, 
resolved  to  set  the  establishment  by  the  ears,  whether  sleeping  or 
waking  ;  for  I  felt  certain  that  some  kind  of  trick  had  been  played 


./    BOYAR    OF  THE    TERR  IE  I.E.  4,, 

upon  Vera,  as  otherwise  no  number  of  brothers  would  prevent  mv 
princess  from  doing  exactly  as  her  will  dictated,  in  going  and 
coming,  and  I  was  proportionately  angry  with  those  who  had 
dared  to  thwart  her. 

But,  though  I  hammered  and  banged  upon  that  door  loud 
enough  to  rouse  the  inmates,  even  if  they  had  been  dead  instead 
of  only  asleep,  there  was  no  reply,  and  no  light  was  shown  at  door 
or  window.     The  house  was  empty  and  deserted. 

I  went  round  to  the  yard,  to  the  stables,  where  I  knew  every 
groom — all  of  whom,  unlike  their  masters,  were  my  very  good 
friends;  but  the  back  promises  were  all  as  deserted  as  the  front, 
and  not  a  horse  neighed  in  stable  or  yard,  not  a  living  thing 
moved. 

As  I  came  into  the  street  I  heard  the  village  cowherd  stirring, 
ami  presently  he  passed  along,  blowing  his  long  horn  to  summon 
his  cows — it  was  three  in  the  morning  or  near  it — and  him  I 
questioned  for  news  of  the  Krilofs.  They  had  departed  a  week 
ago,  said  the  man,  but  whither  he  knew  not,  for  nothing  had  been 
said  as  to  their  destination ;  probably  they  were  at  Kamka,  their 
summer  resort. 

The  same  idea  had  struck  me  also,  and  after  I  had  fed  poor 
old  Daniel — who  had  had  a  long  journey  and  ought  to  have  been 
very  tired,  though  he  was  too  proud  to  show  it — I  mounted  my 
good  horse  and  set  his  face  for  Kamka. 

But  neither  at  Kamka  did  I  receive  the  comfort  of  finding  mv 
betrothed,  for  the  Kamka  dacha,  or  country  house,  was  as  empty 
and  deserted  as  the  town  mansion  at  Molebsk.  Only  here  I  at 
lea.-t  discovered  a  friend  who  could  be  of  service  to  me  in  the  old 
ochotnik  (hunter)  who  had  charge  of  the  wolfhounds  which  dwelt, 
\  great  noisy  pack,  in  kennels  at  some  distance  from  the  house. 

This  old  man,  Stepan,  informed  me  that  the  family  had  de- 
parted to  Moscow  nearly  a  week  ago,  having  called  in  at  Kamka 
to  leave  orders  as  they  passed.  They  had  dismissed  their  servant.-, 
the  greater  number  of  them,  to  their  homes — most  of  these  being 
of  course  serfs  on  the  estate,  they  had  not  far  to  go — and  had 
signified  the  intention  of  remaining  away  during  the  whole  of  the 
summer. 

Old  Stepan  added  that  he  had  not  seen  the  boyarishnya  Vera, 
but  only  Prince  Andrey.  the  rest  of  the  family  having  remained 
within  the  travelling  carriages  without  descending  to  converse 
with  him  or  others. 

Here  indeed  was  a  checkmate  for  me. 

VOL.  XXVIII.   NO.  CLXVTI.  H  H 


442  A   BOYAR    OF   THE    TERRIBLE. 

It  was  bad  enough  that  Vera  should  have  been  spirited  away 
at  all ;  but  that  she  should  have  gone  to  Moscow  was  infinitely 
worse.  Why  should  she  have  been  taken  there,  unless  with  the 
deliberate  intention  of  reawakening  the  Tsar's  interest  in  her,  and 
of  keeping  her  before  his  eyes  in  order  that,  should  he  weary  of 
Anastasia  (in  which  case  the  poor  Tsaritsa  would  probably  fall  a 
victim  before  long  to  her  husband's  terrible  passions),  or  if  the 
weakly  young  Tsaritsa  should  really  fail  in  health,  Vera  might  be 
at  hand  to  step  immediately  into  the  coveted  vacant  place  at  his 
side  ?  I  was  forced  to  conclude  that  this,  or  something  like  it, 
must  be  the  interpretation  to  be  put  upon  the  action  of  the  Krilofs 
in  thus  carrying  their  sister  back  into  the  lion's  den. 

Here,  too,  were  the  materials  for  a  tremendous  imperial 
tragedy  ;  for  none  knew  better  than  I  that  if  my  Vera  were  forced 
against  her  will  into  marriage  with  this  Tsar,  she  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  take  his  life  or  her  own. 

That  force  had  been  exercised  in  order  to  compel  Vera  to  leave 
her  home  without  acquainting  me  of  the  fact  was  quite  certain  ; 
and  it  remained  only  for  me  to  rest  Daniel  for  a  few  hours,  and 
then  to  start  once  more  upon  that  long  ride  to  Moscow,  which  I 
had  alreacty  so  lately  accomplished,  in  the  hope  of  overtaking  the 
Krilof  party  before  they  could  reach  the  capital,  in  which  case  I 
knew  well  what  I  should  do  !  They  had,  however,  nearly  a  full 
week's  start  of  me,  and  I  doubted  whether  even  my  faithful 
Daniel  was  capable  of  making  good  so  great  an  advantage.  Also, 
I  rightly  concluded  that  these  Krilofs,  who  knew  my  disposition 
sufficiently  well  by  this  time,  would  not  tarry  by  the  way,  since 
they  would  be  sure  enough  that  I  should  follow  at  the  very  first 
information  I  received  of  their  departure ;  and  that  if  I  overtook 
them  on  the  road  it  would  no  longer  be  an  affair  of  staff-duelling, 
or  wrestling,  but  a  grim  matter  of  life  and  death  between  us. 

And  this  is  doubtless  the  reason  why,  though  I  rode  so  hard 
that  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  felt  old  Daniel  tiring  beneath 
me,  yet  from  day  to  day  I  did  not  seem  to  gain  more  than  one 
mile  in  five,  and  that,  I  calculated,  would  hardly  suffice  to  bring 
me  up  with  them.  But  the  reports  of  those  to  whom  I  applied 
for  information  varied  so  greatly  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
discover  for  certain  how  far  in  advance  were  those  I  desired  to 
overtake :  one  peasant  would  tell  me  four  days  ;  the  next  would 
scratch  his  head,  calculate,  and  pronounce  it  five ;  while  a  third 
would  declare  it  to  be  three  ;  and  it  was  not  until  I  reached 
Kuchief,  a  village  which  I  have  already  mentioned,  and  rested  at 


./    BO  YAH   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  443 

the  house  of  the  old  priest  Father  Ivan  (Vera's  friend,  and  he 
on  whom  we  had  relied  to  marry  us  in  our  need),  thai  1  at  las1 
obtained  information  which  was  really  trustworthy.  And  here  I 
received  also  the  first  grain  of  comfort  that  I  had  tasted  since  my 
discovery  of  Vera's  departure — namely,  a  letter  from  my  princess, 
dictated  by  her  to  this  good  Father  Ivan,  and  written  by  him  in 
her  name  unbeknown  to  her  brothers.  My  betrothed  was  not 
free  to  write  for  herself,  nor  free  indeed  to  speak  when  or  to  whom 
she  would,  or  to  stir  hand  or  foot  excepting  under  surveillance  ; 
for  it  had  come,  as  I  gathered,  to  this,  that  her  brothers  were 
carrying  her  a  captive  to  Moscow,  in  order  to  sell  her,  or  to  deliver 
her,  so  to  speak,  bound  to  the  Tsar  if  they  should  find  that  he 
desired  to  have  her.  That  Vera  was  able  to  convey  to  me  a 
message  through  Father  Ivan  was  due  only  to  the  fact  that  he 
was  a  minister  of  religion,  and  therefore,  under  plea  of  confession 
and  ghostly  counsel,  my  poor  princess  was  able  to  enjoy  a  few 
minutes  of  conversation  uninterrupted  by  the  presence  of  others, 
during  which  short  interval  she  sent  me  the  following  message : 
'  My  brothers  have  torn  me  from  home  to  carry  me  I  know  not 
whither,  nor  for  what  purpose  ;  if,  as  I  feel  assured  you  will,  you 
receive  this  message  from  the  good  father,  speed  onwards  swiftly 
but  cautiously,  for  my  brothers  and  their  servants  are  armed  tocufc 
you  to  pieces,  being  determined  for  reasons  of  their  own  that  our 
intercourse  must  end,  if  necessary,  in  your  death  at  their  hands. 
This  I  know  for  certain,  therefore  beware.  But  if  you  should 
reach  Moscow  after  us,  and  I  shall  have  disappeared,  ask  the  Tsar 
first  for  news  of  me,  and  afterwards  look  out  for  a  white  kerchief 
at  a  window.' 

'  And  when  was  the  princess  here  ?  '  I  asked  of  the  good  father. 

•  When  ?    But  yesterday.'  said  he,  'about  this  very  hour.' 

So  that  I  had  gained  upon  them  my  week,  all  but  one  day  ! 
Good  Daniel !  he  had  wearied  himself  to  some  purpose. 

That  night  I  rested  well  at  the  priest's  house,  and  Daniel 
rested  well  also,  as  he  so  richly  deserved  to  do ;  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  taking  the  good  father's  blessing  with  me  and  his  tearful 
warnings  to  beware  of  those  wicked  Krilofs,  who  would  sell  their 
sir-ier  to  gratify  their  owu  ambitions,  and  would  spill  mv  blood 
without  remorse  to  accomplish  their  end,  I  rod''  quickly  forth 
once  more  upon  the  track  of  my  captive  princess.  1  could  not,  I 
knew,  overtake  the  party  on  that  day,  nor  probably  on  the  nest  ; 
but  on  the  third  from  this  I  expected  to  have  them  in  view,  and 
^o,  indeed,  it  turned  out.     For  on  the  third  morning,  but  two  or 


444  A   BO  YAH    OB  THE    TERRIBLE. 

three  hours  after  sunrise  on  a  lovely  May  day,  I  rode  at  last  into 
earshot  of  the  jangling  bells  of  the  travelling  carriage,  and  five 
minutes  later  I  was  in  sight  of  the  party. 

I  had  formed  but  the  simplest  plan  of  action.  All  that  I  knew 
and  had  distinctly  determined  was,  that  I  must  overthrow  these 
three  Krilof  brothers,  of  whose  prowess  I  had  the  poorest  opinion  ; 
and  that  having  scattered  or  slain  them  (for  it  had  come  to  this, 
that  I  cared  not  at  this  time  what  became  of  them,  nor  whether 
they  lived  or  died),  I  must  seize  my  betrothed  and  ride  back  with 
her  into  the  sanctuary  of  the  priest's  house,  where  we  should  first 
be  united  by  the  holy  rites  of  the  Church,  and  then  let  him  inter- 
fere who  dared  between  me  and  my  wedded  wife,  be  he  Krilof,  or 
Tsar,  or  devil ! 

It  appeared  that  the  Krilofs  feared  or  expected  my  approach 
from  behind,  for  they  had  posted  a  rear-guard  on  horseback,  whose 
duty  was  to  keep  a  look-out  upon  the  road,  and  this  man  espied 
me  as  soon  as  I  saw  him  and  the  rest ;  whereupon,  by  some  con- 
certed signal,  he  gave  the  alarm,  and  instantly  a  body  of  several 
men  lagged  behind,  while  the  carriage  was  driven  rapidly  onwards 
at  increased  speed.  I  shouted  with  all  my  might,  in  the  vain 
hope  of  prevailing  upon  the  coachman — whom  I  knew  well — to 
stop,  and  partly  with  the  intention  of  making  known  to  my 
betrothed  that  I  was  at  hand ;  but  Timofey,  the  driver,  was  too 
frightened  to  stop  or  to  obey  me  at  the  expense  of  obedience  to 
his  masters,  and  the  carriage  bumped  and  jolted  along  faster  than 
ever.  But  that  my  princess  heard  my  voice  and  was  able  to 
convey  to  me  that  she  had  heard  it  was,  to  my  ecstasy,  proved  by 
the  fluttering  for  a  moment  of  a  white  kerchief  from  the  carriage 
window. 

I  counted  five  horsemen  arrayed  against  me  as  I  advanced, 
and  these  were  drawn  up  across  the  road  to  prevent  my  passage. 
There  were  Andrey  Krilof  and  his  two  brothers  and  two  servants, 
all  armed  with  swords  and  well  mounted.  They  made  no  move- 
ment as  I  rode  towards  them,  and  said  no  word  aloud,  though  I 
could  see  Andrey  muttering  to  the  rest,  instructions  or  encourage- 
ments, I  knew  not  which. 

'  Stand  back,'  I  cried,  as  I  came  close  to  them ;  '  I  am  a 
desperate  man  to-day,  Andrey,  and  care  not  what  I  do — for  pass 
I  will.' 

'  We  are  all  desperate  men  to-day,'  said  Andrey,  pale  but 
determined ;  '  we  have  had  enough  of  this  hunting  of  our  sister 
by  you,  and  are  determined  to  put  an  end  to  it.     Turn  and  ride 


./    BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  445 

home,  if  you  will,  while  you  can.  You  see,  we  are  more  than  you, 
and  have  you  at  mercy  ! ' 

1  Yes,  five  swords  to  one ! '  I  cried  mockingly  ;  '  but  only  Krilof 
swords,  which  count  for  little  !     Come  on,  five  swords  to  one ! ' 

I  rode  straight  at  them,  and  the  hacking  began.  The  Krilofs 
were  small  men  and  rather  slight  and  feeble  of  limb,  but  of  great 
spirit.  Both  the  servants  were  cowards,  and  escaped  out  of  the 
fray  in  a  moment,  one  with  a  cut  in  the  shoulder  which  made 
him  howl  again  ;  the  other,  I  believe,  scatheless.  Andrey  hacked 
furiously  at  me,  and  I  was  obliged  to  bring  my  sword  so  violently 
down  upon  his  head  that  he  fell  from  his  horse  a  dead  man.  But 
Feodor  and  Osip  Krilof  attacked  me  simultaneously  so  vigorously 
that  tirst  Osip's  sword  wounded  my  own  sword-arm,  and  then  the 
point  of  Feodor's  weapon  entered  my  shoulder  and  I  fell  from 
Daniel's  back  just  as  poor  Daniel — wounded  in  several  places — 
fell  also,  his  body  resting  on  my  own  upon  the  ground.  And  this 
was  the  last  that  I  remembered  of  that  fray,  for  my  senses  sud- 
denly deserted  me,  and  for  a  space  of  time  I  knew  nothing. 
When  I  recovered,  I  found  that  poor  Daniel,  who  still  lay  upon 
me,  was  dead.  My  enemies  had  disappeared,  one  and  all,  and  had 
carried  dead  Andrey  with  them,  together  with  marks  of  my  sword 
upon  their  own  persons  which  I  think  they  will  carry  with  them 
to  the  grave  ;  for  I  distinctly  remember  touching  Osip  and  Feodor 
at  least  once  each,  and  my  sword  has  never  been  one  to  scratch 
the  skin  and  leave  no  scar. 

I  wept  over  my  faithful  Daniel,  and  prayed  to  God,  if  he 
possessed  a  soul,  to  keep  that  soul  in  perpetual  peace.  I  cannot 
think  that  the  most  faithful  of  dumb  creatures  are  to  go  to  the 
grave  eternally  without  compensation  for  their  loyalty  and  good 
service  to  man  on  the  earth  ;  for  duty  faithfully  done  to  man  is 
done  to  God;  and  perhaps  the  wisdom  of  the  Almighty  has 
rewards  that  we  dream  not  of  for  the  faithful  servants  of  man  ! 

Then  I  kissed  old  Daniel's  forehead  and  dragged  myself  away 
on  foot,  bleeding  considerably  at  arm  and  shoulder,  but  not — as  I 
could  plainly  feel— very  seriously  hurt ;  and  fortunately  I  reached, 
within  an  hour,  a  small  village,  the  Starost,  or  chief  peasant,  of 
which — having  first  crossed  himself  in  horror  at  my  blood-stained 
appearance — took  me  in  and  tended  me  carefully,  washing  my 
wounds  and  treating  them  with  herbs  and  ice  from  his  lyednik 
(ice-cellar).  And  here,  under  the  kind  care  of  Starost  Piotr 
Kunigin,  I  languished  in  fever  and  impatience  for  two  long  week-, 
during  which  I  was  distracted  for  news  of  my  Vera,  but  of  course 


446  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

received  none ;  and  at  last,  rny  wounds  being  healed,  1  bought  a 
pony  of  Piotr  and  rode  away  by  short  stages  towards  Moscow, 
weak  and  anxious  and  miserable,  and  fearing  for  my  princess  I 
know  not  what  terrible  things. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

THE    TSAR'S    DISCLAIMER. 


My  first  destination  after  arriving  in  Moscow  was  of  course  the 
Krilof  mansion,  though  I  scarcely  expected  to  find  the  house 
occupied  ;  and  in  this  my  instinct  did  not  deceive  me.  The  old 
sen-ant  in  charge  of  the  house  informed  me  that  he  had  seen 
nothing  of  his  masters  or  of  the  boyarisknya  Vera  ;  they  had  not 
arrived  in  Moscow,  and  were  not  expected,  he  said;  they  had 
returned  to  Molebsk  some  months  ago. 

So  that  this  visit  to  Moscow,  with  Vera  a  captive,  was  to  be  a 
secret  one.  Was  it  undertaken  by  order  of  the  Tsar,  or  with  his 
knowledge  and  approval  ?  or  was  it  a  private  family  speculation  of 
the  Krilofs,  based  upon  the  oohaz  of  the  Tsar  forbidding  Vera's 
marriage  for  two  years,  and  fostered  by  the  brothers'  ambition  ? 

In  either  case  it  might  be  convenient  to  make  the  visit  a 
secret  one,  and  to  leave  the  family  house  unoccupied  in  order  that 
the  fact  of  Vera's  presence  in  the  capital  might  remain  unknown. 

But  as  for  me,  my  own  course  was  clear.  I  should  go  straight 
to  the  Tsar  and  persuade,  or  threaten,  or  force  him  to  tell  me  all 
he  knew.  If  he  could  be  passionate  and  violent,  so  could  I.  I 
had  braved  him  before  this,  and  I  would  brave  him  again.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  I  had  never  lost  ground  with  Ivan  through  standing 
up  manfully  to  him  ;  and  if  he  was  in  league  with  these  Krilofs 
to  do  any  wrong  to  Vera,  why,  I  cared  not  a  jot  whether  I  lost 
ground  with  him  or  not,  so  long  as  I  could  win  back  my  princess 
to  freedom  and  safety. 

Therefore,  having  visited  my  own  quarters  at  the  Stroganof 
mansion,  and  removed  the  stains  of  travel,  attiring  myself  as 
became  a  boyar  of  my  position,  I  proceeded  towards  the  Kremlin, 
in  order  to  have  this  question  of  the  Tsar's  guilt  or  innocence 
settled  once  for  all.  On  the  way  I  met  one  whom  I  had  not 
seen  for  over  two  years — Adashef,  the  young  boyar  whom  I  had 
assisted  in  reclaiming  the  boy-Tsar  from  his  youthful  follies  and 
irregularities.     To  see  Adashef  was  as  soothing  and  exhilarating 


A   BO  YAK   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  447 

as  to  see  the  sun  hurst  forth  frouf  the  dark  clouds  :  his  presence 
in  Moscow  was  a  good  omen,  for  I  knew  well  that  his  influence 
over  the  Tsar  was  peculiar,  and  that  while  he  was  by  the  good  in 
Ivan  invariably  predominated  over  the  evil. 

Adashef  recognised  me  at  once. 

'What,  Sasha  Stroganof !'  he  cried,  embracing  me  with  glad- 
ness ;  '  who  would  think  to  see  you  here?  I  was  told  you  were  in 
Perm.  J  lave  you  come  to  make  your  peace  with  the  Tsar?  If 
so,  you  have  done  wisely,  for  he  is  strangely  wroth  with  you,  and 
will  say  nothing  of  the  reason/ 

'Yes,'  I  said,  'I  have  come  to  make  peace  with  the  Tsar — or 
war  ;  it  is  as  he  pleases,  and  deserves  ! '     Adashef  laughed. 

'  If  it  depends  upon  his  pleasure  and  his  deserts,'  he  said.  '  Ivan 
will  have  it  peace,  for  he  loves  you  well,  Sasha,  as  I  know  better 
than  most,  being,  in  a  manner,  the  keeper  of  his  conscience,  I  and 
his  new  friend,  the  monk  Sylvester.  As  for  his  deserts,  if  God 
judges  us  by  our  tendency,  and  not  by  our  past  ait  ions  (as  some 
declare),  then  Ivan  is  in  a  state  of  grace  ;  for  things  go  well  with 
him  at  present ! ' 

'Indeed!'  I  said,  smiling  scornfully;  for  I  imagined  that  I 
knew  more  of  the  Tsar's  mind,  perhaps,  than  even  Adashef,  and 
believed  that  I  was  acquainted  with  certain  devised  or  perpetrated 
villainy  of  which  this  good  man  knew  nothing — '  Indeed  ;  and  in 
which  sense  go  they  well  ?  ' 

'  The  Tsar  grows  serious  and  very  religious,'  said  Adashef ; 
'the  influence  of  his  young  wife  is  all  on  the  side  of  good  ;  and 
since  he  loves  her  well  and  unfeignedly,  that  influence  is  also 
strong.' 

This  was  unexpected  news  to  me,  and  for  a  moment  almost 
induced  me  to  change  my  intention  to  beard  the  Tsar  on  Yera's 
account  ;  for  it  seemed  to  me  to  be  clear  enough,  if  matters  were 
as  Adashef  declared,  that  this  enterprise  of  the  Krilofs  was  a 
private  one,  and  not  to  be  laid  at  Ivan's  door.  But  then  it  occurred 
to  me  that,  though  this  might  be  so,  yet  even  if  it  were  not.  Ivan 
would  not  have  been  likely  to  confide  his  heart's  secrets  i<>  this 
good  Adashef,  but  would  more  probably,  in  such  a  case,  deceive 
the  keeper  of  his  conscience  in  every  way  lie  could.  Therefore  I 
laughed  a  second  time,  and  said  that  I  should  believe  more  in 
Ivan's  eon  version  when  it  had  worked  off  it.-  novelty,  and  in  his 
absorbing  love  for  the  Eomanof  Tsaritsa  when  it  had  lasted  a  little 
longer. 

'Fie! '.-aid   Adashef.       I   am   not    pleased  with   thee  to-day. 


448  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

Sasha  ;  my  way  is  to  believe  in  all  good,  and  to  disbelieve  as  much 
as  possible  in  evil.  Try  it  for  yourself,  and  you  will  find  that 
much  of  the  bitterness  of  life  is  lost.' 

'  I  will  believe  in  all  the  good  I  find  in  the  Tsar,'  I  said 
earnestly  ;  '  I  am  more  anxious  to  see  this  good  in  him  than  you 
would  imagine ;  but  I  must  see  him  first,  and  after  that  I  will 
speak  with  you  again  on  this  matter ! ' 

'  Make  your  peace  with  him  if  you  are  wise,'  said  Adashef,  as 
we  parted,  '  it  is  worth  a  sacrifice ;  for  Ivan  will  need  all  his  honest 
boyars  ;  he  has  not  too  many  such  ! ' 

This,  I  fear,  was  a  very  true  speech  of  Adashefs. 

The  Tsar  was  at  meat  within  the  palace  when  I  arrived,  and, 
exercising  my  right  as  a  boyar  of  the  realm,  I  entered  the  dining- 
hall  and  took  my  seat  at  the  lower  end  of  the  table,  where  there 
were  places  vacant  for  chance  arrivals.  The  distribution  of  bread 
and  salt,  the  preliminary  process  in  these  palace  meals,  was  still 
in  progress ;  the  Tsar  cutting  pieces  from  the  loaf,  standing,  and 
sending  them  in  turn  to  his  boyars  upon  a  gold  platter,  naming 
each  recipient  as  he  did  so  with  the  formula  '  Stepan  Ivanitch 
Gflinsky '  (or  whoever  the  boyar  might  be),  '  I  favour  thee  with 
bread  and  salt.'  Each  boyar  thus  named  and  favoured  stood  up 
in  his  place  and  bowed,  but  said  nothing ;  for  it  is  the  rule  that 
none  may  speak  to  the  Tsar  during  dinner,  excepting  when 
invited  to  do  so. 

After  the  bread  and  salt,  portions  from  the  rest  of  the  dishes 
were  passed  round  with  the  same  formalities  ;  and  all  the  appoint- 
ments used  at  the  table — dishes,  platters,  and  forks — were  of  pure 
gold. 

The  Tsar  knew  every  one  of  the  boyars  present  by  name,  and 
never  made  a  mistake  in  addressing  them,  standing  up  to  despatch 
each  portion,  and  looking  at  the  boyar  addressed,  sometimes  with 
favour,  sometimes  frowning.  Upon  me  he  bestowed  the  most 
savage  of  frowns  as  he  sent  me  my  portion  of  bread  and  salt,  but 
I  made  as  though  I  observed  nothing,  either  then  or  afterwards, 
and  to  his  formula,  '  Alexander  Stroganof,  I  favour  thee  with  bread 
and  salt,'  I  merely  bowed  my  head  with  respect,  and  betook  me 
to  my  victuals. 

After  dinner  was  over,  I  was  among  those  waiting  for  an 
audience  of  the  Tsar,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  invited  into 
his  apartment ;  and  when  I  stood  before  my  young  master  I  saw 
at  once  that  he  was  not  prepared  to  be  friendly  disposed  towards 
me. 


A    BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  449 

'I  have  done  with  you,'  he  said.  'Why  have  you  come?  I 
have  other  boyars  as  good  as  you,  and  loyal  besides.'  It  was  not 
an  encouraging  welcome. 

'  I  am  as  loyal  as  any,'  I  said ;  '  I  do  but  seek  my  own.' 

The  Tsar  stamped.  '  Is  not  that  old  matter  done  with  yet  ? ' 
he  cried.  '  I  sent  your  tiger-cat  to  her  home  months  ago  ;  in  two 
years  you  shall  marry  her  if  she  has  not  torn  your  eyes  out  before 
that!' 

'  You  sent  her  home,  certainly,'  I  said;  'but  you  have  sum- 
moned her  again  to  Moscow,  and  that  is  why  I  am  here,  to 
demand  her  back;  neither  Tsar  nor  devil  shall  keep  her  from 
me  ! ' 

'  What  do  you  mean  by  these  words  ?'  said  Ivan,  paling,  and 
flushing  again.  '  Is  Vera  Krilof  in  Moscow  ?  Who  brought  her — 
where  is  she  ?  ' 

'  That  is  what  I  have  come  to  ask  you,'  I  said  ;  '  and  what  you 
shall  tell  me,  Tsar  though  you  be,  before  I  leave  this  room.' 

'  Stop ! '  he  said,  with  dignity.  '  there  is  no  need  for  foolish 
threats  and  empty  words ;  a  Tsar  does  not  lie — I  tell  you  that  1 
know  nothing  of  Princess  Vera  Krilof.  If  you  know  that  she  is  in 
Moscow,  you  know  more  than  I.'  The  Tsar  looked  very  dignified 
as  he  said  these  words  ;  and  I  saw  at  once  that,  whatever  might  be 
the  reading  of  the  mystery  of  Vera's  disappearance,  this  which  he 
had  spoken  was  the  truth  as  he  knew  it. 

'  Pardon,  then,  Ivan  Vasilitch,'  I  said,  bending  my  head  in 
some  confusion  ;  '  the  Princess  Vera  has  been  carried  to  Moscow 
by  her  brothers,  and  I  am  in  great  distress  because  of  her.  If  T 
imagined  that  the  Tsar  knew  of  her  coming  and  of  her  present 
whereabouts,  it  was  because  I  took  for  granted  of  every  man 
who  has  seen  Vera  Krilof  that  he  must  love  her,  even  a  Tsar,  for 
which  foolishness  as  a  lover  I  may  be  forgiven.' 

'  I  do  not  forgive  this  or  anything  in  thee,'  cried  Ivan,  angrily  ; 
'  and  as  for  love,  I  have  no  love  for  she-devils ;  I  have  married  an 
angel  from  heaven,  and  I  thank  God  that  I  did  not  choose  thy 
Krilova.  There,  is  that  enough  of  words?  Wilt  thou  go  now? 
I  weary  of  thee,  Stroganof,  upon  my  soul ;  with  thee  it  is  all  mis- 
understandings and  disloyalties.  There  are  better  boyars  than 
thou  in  plenty  ;  go,  find  thy  tiger-cat — only  go  ! ' 

'  One  favour,  Tsar,'  I  said,  '  though  you  do  not  love  me  :  grant 
me  this,  and  you  shall  own  one  day  that  I  am  a  true  boyar  and 
not  disloyal,  but  faithful  to  the  last  drop  of  my  blood ;  if  I  find 
my  betrothed,  renounce  your  two  years'  claim  upon    her,   and 


450  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

sanction   my  immediate   marriage.'      The  Tsar  flushed   red  and 
stamped  again. 

'  Silence  ! '  he  cried  furiously.  '  What  I  have  said,  I  have  said  ; 
a  Tsar's  oohaz  is  not  like  a  boyar's  loyalty,  to  be  put  forth  and 
drawn  in  at  his  own  convenience.  You  have  seen  my  oohaz  :  for 
two  years,  four  maidens  are  sacred  to  the  Tsar,  and  Vera  Krilof 
is  one  of  them ;  if  her  brothers  have  concealed  her  in  order  to 
protect  her  from  dishonest  and  disloyal  boyars  who  would  rob  the 
Tsar  of  his  own,  they  have  done  wisely  and  loyally  ! ' 

'  Eob  the  Tsar  of  his  own  ! '  I  repeated  bitterly  ;  '  the  Tsar  has 
his  own,  and  that,  apparently,  is  not  enough  for  him ;  he  must 
have  also  that  which  is  not  his  own.' 

'  Go,  Stroganof/  said  1  he  Tsar  coldly  ;  '  do  not  anger  me  more  ; 
you  know  my  temper.'  But  T  was  not  to  be  held  now  ;  my  passion 
had  burst  its  bonds. 

'  Yes,'  I  cried  mockingly,  '  I  know  your  temper — I  have  cause 
to  know  it — and  now  I  know  also  how  sincere  is  your  dislike  for 
the  Princess  Vera  ;  some  there  are  who  call  this  kind  of  dislike 
by  a  different  name.  If  you  hate  this  maiden,  as  you  profess,  why 
must  she  be  kept  at  your  claim  for  two  years  ? ' 

For  the  second  time  Ivan  raised  his  staff  upon  me.  This  time 
he  did  not  attempt  to  pin  my  foot  to  the  ground,  as  before,  but 
thrust  furiously  at  my  throat  with  the  spike.  But  whether  his 
aim  failed,  or  whether  he  felt  compunction  at  the  last  moment, 
and  therefore  swerved  his  arm,  it  so  fell  out  that  the  weapon  only 
grazed  my  neck,  just  scratching  the  skin  sufficiently  to  show  the 
blood,  and  no  more.  He  stood  glaring  at  me  for  a  full  minute, 
and  I  at  him.  I  feared  that  he  would  attack  me  again  and  more 
formidably;  if  he  had,  I  should  have  dashed  the  staff  from  his 
hand,  for  I  had  no  mind  to  be  killed,  and  my  princess  perhaps  in 
need  of  me.  But  suddenly  Ivan's  countenance  changed — he  threw 
his  weapon  upon  the  floor,  crossed  himself  devoutly,  and  casting 
himself  upon  his  knees  before  the  ikon  in  the  corner  of  the  room, 
began  to  pray  quickly,  gabbling  the  words  aloud  and  very  fast.  I 
waited  a  minute  or  two,  thinking  that  perhaps  he  would  rise  from 
his  knees  in  a  more  friendly  state  of  mind,  so  that  some  kind  of 
reconciliation  might  be  effected  between  us — for  I  was  full  of  a 
great  pity  for  this  young  Tsar,  in  spite  of  my  anger  against  him  ; 
but  he  prayed  on,  turning  to  frown  at  me  once  or  twice,  and  I 
judged  at  last  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  leave  him.  He  was  still 
praying  aloud  as  I  quitted  the  room. 

Alf  the  rest  of  that  day  and   the  next  were  spent  by  me  in 


A    BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  451 

parading  the  streets  of  .Moscow,  Looking  for  the  flutter  of  a  white 

kerchief  at  a  window  ;  but  I  found  not  what  1  had  come  to  seek. 
I  saw  and  spoke  with  many  acquaintances,  boyars  and  others,  and 
of  these  1  inquired  whether  any  of  the  Krilofa  had  been  seen  of 
late  in  Moscow.  None  of  those  I  spoke  with  had  met  them,  it 
appeared  ;  but  there  were  rumours  that  they  had  been  observed, 
and  a  further  rumour  that  one  of  them  had  lately  died  ;  but 
whether  this  was  one  of  the  three  brothers,  or  the  beautiful  sister, 
was  unknown  to  my  friends.  I  could  have  supplied  the  informa- 
tion. If  I  had  thought  of  it  I  might  also  have  deduced  that 
possibly  their  wounds  had  made  prisoners  of  ( )sip  and  Feodor 
Krilof.  and  this  would  account  for  the  mystery  of  their  invisible- 
ness  during  the  last  fortnight;  for  they  had  certainly  entered 
MOSCOW  ;    1  had  tracked  them  up  to  the  gates  of  the  city. 

Moscow  was  in  a  curious  condition  jnst  at  this  time.  There 
had  been,  it  was  said,  signs  and  portents  of  a  coining  visitation  ; 
though  the  superstitious,  and  these  were  many,  differed  as  to  the 
nature  of  the  calamity  foretold  in  the  signs.  Some  said  that  a 
plague  was  imminent,  such  as  had  ravaged  Moscow  many  years  be- 
fore ;  some  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  a  fire  would  shortly  break 
out  and  destroy  the  city  ;  others  declared  that  misfortunes  were  in 
store  for  the  imperial  family  :  perhaps  in  the  death  of  the  young 
Tsaritsa,  who  was  known  to  be  delicate.  Again,  there  were  many 
who  gave  out  that  the  Tsar's  grandmother,  the  mother  of  his  own 
most  blessed  mother,  Helen  Glinsky,  was  a  witch  ;  and  that,  being 
angry  by  reason  of  the  newly-begotten  ascendency  of  the  Romanof 
family,  which  threatened  to  outweigh  the  influence  of  her  own, 
she  had  vowed  to  visit  her  displeasure  upon  the  city  01  Moscow. 
Shooting  stars  of  great  brilliance  had  burst  over  the  city  of  late  ; 
strange  birds  had  appeared  croaking  and  fluttering  upon  the  trees 
of  the  cemetery,  and  many  other  significant  signs  and  marvel-  had 
been  observed.  All  Moscow  wondered  and  waited  to  see  what 
should  happen. 

I  myself  saw  fifty  meteors  in  a  night,  a  sight  I  had  never  wit- 
nessed before;  and  I  beheld  also  another  strange  scene,  which, 
though  I  am  not  by  nature  superstitious,  filled  me  with  awe  and 
disquiet  ude. 

[To  he  continued.) 


452 


Mary  Lepel,  Lady  Hervey. 


WE  have  it  on  record  that  a  celebrated  whip  of  fiction,  Mr. 
Tony  Weller — taught  in  the  hard  school  of  experience — 
solemnly  advised  his  son  Samuel  never  to  marry  a  Widow.  But  it 
is,  perhaps,  not  so  well  known  that  another  eminent  (and  not 
fictitious)  '  handler  of  the  ribbons  '  entertained  as  inveterate  an 
objection  to  a  less  insidious  branch  of  the  Beautiful  Sex.  The 
coachman  at  that  '  pouting-place  of  Princes,'  Leicester  House,  not 
only  enjoined  his  heir  never  to  take  to  wife  a  Maid  of  Honour,  but, 
emphasising  that  injunction  by  a  substantial  money  penaltv,  lent 
to  it  all  the  peculiar  and  melancholy  interest  attaching  to  a  death- 
bed wish.  Upon  condition  that  the  young  man  complied  with  his 
desires,  he  bequeathed  him  a  sum  of  three  hundred  pounds.  This 
careful  forethought  in  face  of  an  obviously  remote  contingency 
seems  to  argue  an  unreasonable  prejudice  on  the  old  gentleman's 
part  against  the  ladies  he  had  been  privileged  to  drive.  That,  in  so 
far  as  history  affords  information,  the  Maids  of  Honour  under  Anne 
and  the  first  two  Georges  were  fully  entitled  to  the  epithet 
'  gamesome,'  which  Tennyson  gives  to  the  charming  heroine  of 
the  Talking  Oak,  may,  perhaps,  be  admitted,  and  even  expected. 
Well  born,  good  looking,  and  high  spirited,  they  were  condemned 
to  a  life  in  which  yawning  and  wearisome  etiquette  must  have 
predominated,  and  it  may  be  conceived  that,  in  their  hours  of 
ease,  they  were  likely  to  be  especially  '  aggravating  '  to  the  long- 
suffering  charioteer  whose  duty  it  was  to  carry  them  hither  and 
thither,  cheapening  brocades  and  watered  tabbies  like  Steele's 
'  silkworm,'  or  travelling  on  a  circuit  of  interminable  '  How-dees.' 
When  they  were  not  hunting,  or  eating  the  perpetual  Westphalia 
ham  which  Pope  has  included  among  their  crosses,  they  probably 
enjoyed  what,  in  that  vulgar  speech,  of  which  Lord  Chesterfield 
deplored  the  use,  is  now  known  as  '  an  uncommonly  good  time.' 
Clever  poets,  like  Gay  and  Prior,  wrote  them  verses  as  gallantly 
turned  and  as   metrically  impudent    as  any  '  couplets  *  contrived 


Longman's  Magazine. 


October  1896. 


A  Boyar  of  the  Terrible. 

A    ROMANCE   OF  THE   COVET   OF  I  VAX  THE   CRUEL, 

FIRST  TSAR    OF  RUSSIA. 


By  Fred.  Whishaw, 
Author  of  'Out  of  Doors  in  Tsabland,'  etc. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SIGNS     AND    "WONDERS. 

I  SAW  a  strange  figure  in  the  streets  of  Moscow  ;  it  was  broad 
daylight,  and  I  myself  decidedly  in  the  possession  of  my 
senses.  At  first  sight  I  thought  it  must  be  a  supernatural  visita- 
tion, so  uncommon  a  spectacle  was  this ;  but  afterwards  I  was 
informed  that  Ivan  Blajenny  was  a  well-known  figure  in  the  town. 
He  was  naked,  save  for  a  scanty  linen  cloth  about  his  loins,  and 
when  I  first  caught  sight  of  him  my  thoughts  instantly  flew  to 
John  the  Baptist,  of  whom  he  certainly  reminded  the  beholder. 
It  is  said  that  this  man  went  naked  winter  and  summer,  and 
preached  repentance  of  sins  to  all,  and  eternal  punishments  to 
those  who  would  not  hear  him. 

I  was  attracted  by  the  large  crowd  assembled  outside  the  huge 
wooden  Church  of  the  Transfiguration,  and  on  drawing  near  I 
beheld  this  strange  Ivan  Blajenny,  who  stood  bowing  and  weeping 
before  the  church  steps  ;  weeping  aloud  and  groaning  and  beating 
his  breast,  but  saying  no  word.     The  crowd,  who  knew  him  well 

VOL.  XXY1II.   NO.  CLXVIII.  0  0 


536  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

and  who  looked  upon  him,  some  as  a  godsman  (lunatic),  some  as 
a  great  prophet,  were  pale  and  haggard  with  consternation  by 
reason  of  his  behaviour.  Their  minds  were  already  somewhat 
unhinged  by  the  numerous  signs  and  portents  of  the  last  few 
days,  and  Ivan's  unusual  behaviour,  in  weeping  instead  of  preach- 
ing, alarmed  and  disconcerted  them. 

As  I  stood  watching  and  wondering  what  these  things  could 
mean,  something  happened  which  terrified  the  least  superstitious 
of  those  around  me,  and  which — I  do  not  deny  it — so  startled  me 
also  that  I  fell  on  my  knees  with  the  rest  and  prayed  aloud.  The 
great  bell  of  the  church  suddenly,  and  without  warning  of  any 
kind,  fell  with  a  clang  and  a  clash  from  the  belfry,  dashing  through 
the  gaily  painted  roof  of  the  church,  and  sending  reverberations 
of  startling  clangour  far  and  wide,  as  though  all  the  bells  of 
Moscow  had  heard  its  death- call  and  were  answering  in  subdued 
lamentation. 

I  had  not  recovered  my  equanimity  when  I  felt  some  one  push- 
ing past  me  as  I  knelt,  and  looking  up,  I  beheld  the  strange  figure 
of  Ivan  Blajenny.  He  saw  me  and  fixed  his  peculiar  wild  eyes 
upon  my  face. 

'  Stroganof!  Stroganof ! '  he  said  excitedly,  but  scarcely  above 
a  whisper,  '  Stroganof !  the  Tsar  shall  thank  thee  for  his  crown  in 
the  East ;  happy  Stroganof,  when  these  evil  days  are  over ! 
Listen,  Stroganof!  Thy  sons  shall  sit  with  Tsars  as  their  equals  ! 
but  first  there  is  woe — woe !  '  and  the  man  was  away  and  out  of 
my  sight  before  I  had  well  caught  what  he  said. 

When  I  did  realise  the  import  of  his  words,  I  was  not  greatly 
impressed  by  them,  though  it  seemed  strange  that  he  should  have 
been  acquainted  with  our  venerable  Perm  prophecy,  and  should 
also  have  recognised  me  ;  but  since  I  was  perhaps,  during  the 
bride-election,  a  well-known  figure  in  Moscow,  he  might  easily 
have  learned  my  name  at  that  time,  and  might  also  have  heard 
the  prophecy  connected  with  our  family. 

As  for  the  remark  that  my  sons  should  sit  with  the  Tsars  as 
their  equals,  this,  of  course,  was  the  mere  raving  of  a  madman, 
and  I  have  never  attached  importance  to  the  foolish  words.1 

The  crowd  dispersed  as  Ivan  disappeared,  howling  and  beating 

1  Ivan  Blajenny,  never.Lekss,  prophesied  truly,  for  in  this  century  Count 
Stroganof,  a  commoner,  actually  married  the  sister  of  the  then  reigning  Tsar, 
Alexander  II.,  Maria  Nicolaievna,  daughter  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas,  thus  ful- 
filling, about  three  hundred  years  later,  the  prediction  of  the  prophet  of  1547.  As 
for  the  realisation  of  the  Term  prophecy,  Alexander  Stroganof  shall  describe  this 
for  himself. 


A   BOYAR    OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  5i7 

their  breasts  :  '  God  is  against  us.'  was  the  burden  of  the  lament  ; 
'  there  is  misfortune  in  the  air!'  I  went  on  my  way,  like  the 
rest  ;  but  my  heart  was  heavy  within  me,  ami  I.  too,  felt  that 
disaster  overhung  the  city.  A  sort  of  superstitious  conviction  of 
thi-  appeared  to  have  settled  upon  all  minds. 

All  the  re>t  of  that  day  I  wandered  abroad,  seeking  for  a  sign 
ofVera'a  hiding-place,  but  found  no  clue  whatever,  and  I  retired 
to  my  own  home  sad  and  depressed  and  completely  baffled.  I 
had  offended  and  finally  quarrelled  with  the  Tsar,  my  master,  and 
I  had  lost  my  beloved  princess  :  no  deeper  vale  of  misery  could 
exist  for  me. 

But  there  were  greater  excitements  in  store  both  for  me  and 
for  others  on  the  following  day — for  me,  indeed,  such  depths  of 
terror  and  despair  that  to  this  day  I  dare  not  allow  my  mind  to 
dwell  upon  those  horrible  hours,  but  rather  upon  their  happier 
outcome. 

As  I  wandered  from  street  to  street,  intent  upon  my  unavail- 
ing search  for  Vera,  I  observed  smoke  arising  from  a  point  close 
at  hand,  and  presently  distinctly  heard  the  crackle  of  burning 
wood.  Men  and  women  passed  me  hurriedly,  crossing  them.-elves 
and  muttering,  and  heading  for  the  spot  whence  came  the  indica- 
tion of  fire.  I  joined  them  and  ran  also,  anxious  to  see  the  sight 
— terrible  though  the  spectacle  of  a  fire  in  daylight  alwavs  is, 
shorn  of  the  grandeur  which  surrounding  darkness  lends  it,  and 
visible  only  in  the  horrid  destruction  and  ruin  which  it  spreads 
abroad  wherever  its  blighting  grip  is  fastened.  Then,  to  mv  sur- 
prise, I  saw  that  it  was  that  very  Church  of  the  Transfiguration 
which  burned.  The  flames  had  taken  firm  hold  upon  its  wooden 
walls  and  roof,  which  seemed  to  crumble  away  beneath  its  touch, 
the  flames  themselves  scarcely  visible  in  the  bright  June  sun- 
shine, but  their  deadly  canker-work  all  too  plain  to  the  eve.  I 
watched  the  fire  crackling  and  raging,  and  the  people  moaning 
and  praying  around  me  for  some  minutes,  before  I  observed  that 
Ivan  Blajenny  stood  and  preached  aloud  from  the  farther  corner 
of  the  roof  of  the  burning  church.  I  could  not  hear  his  denuncia- 
tions for  the  noise  of  the  fire  and  of  the  crowd,  but  I  could  see 
him  wave  his  arms  and  raise  his  clasped  hands  to  heaven,  and 
again  shake  his  fist  over  the  city.  Those  of  the  crowd  nearest  to 
him  shouted  to  him  to  come  down  while  he  might,  but  he  took 
no  notice  of  their  words.  Presently  the  flames  came  so  close  to 
him  that  I  suppose  they  scorched  him,  for  he  uttered  a  shriek  that 
was  audible  above  all  the  noise  around,  and  cast  himself  headlong 


002 


538  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

into  the  midst  of  the  blazing  nave  below,  and  no  man  ever  saw 
trace  of  him  again. 

But  this  great  church  stood  surrounded  by  houses  and  streets, 
and  the  buildings  being  all  of  wood  and  very  dry  with  the  summer 
sun,  it  was  inevitable  that  some  of  the  houses  close  at  hand  must 
catch  fire.  This  happened  long  before  the  church  had  finished 
burning,  and  the  air  being  calm,  the  flames  caught  in  several 
directions  at  once.  There  was  no  water  at  hand,  and  though  the 
crowds  attempted  to  stay  the  spread  of  the  conflagration  by  pull- 
ing the  surrounding  houses  to  pieces,  they  presently  saw  that 
their  efforts  were  all  in  vain,  and  desisted  from  the  work  to  weep 
aloud  and  cross  themselves  and  to  wonder  at  the  wrath  of  the 
Almighty,  searching  about  for  causes  and  reasons  for  His  dis- 
pleasure. 

Having  adopted  this  line,  the  people  soon  gave  birth  to  many 
theories,  and  it  was  significant  that  the  common  folk  took  no  share 
of  the  responsibility  for  this  calamity  upon  their  own  shoulders, 
for  their  own  sins,  but  immediately  pounced,  as  it  were,  upon  the 
sore  places  of  their  betters,  and  wherever  there  was  a  known  weak- 
ness in  Tsar  or  boyars  they  reminded  one  another  of  it  and  dis- 
cussed it  and  the  probable  attitude  of  Providence  towards  such 
sins  and  sinners. 

The  Tsar,  I  could  see,  had  not  as  yet  lived  down  the  unpopu- 
larity which  the  follies  and  extravagances  of  his  boyhood  had 
saddled  him  withal,  and  many  were  the  opinions  expressed  as  to 
his  past  wickedness  and  the  probable  wrath  of  God  which  now 
found  expression  in  the  calamity  which  threatened  the  city. 
Some  of  the  boyars  were  also  extremely  unpopular,  but  more 
especially  the  Grlinsky  family — that  is,  the  uncles  and  the  grand- 
mother of  the  Tsar,  whose  mother  had  been  Helen  (xlinsky,  a 
good  woman  and  a  worthy  Tsaritsa,  who  died,  unfortunately, 
when  young  Ivan  Tsar  was  but  eight  years  of  age. 

It  appeared  that  the  populace  were  angry  with  these  (xlinskys 
because,  having  enjoyed  every  opportunity  of  bringing  up  the 
young  Tsar  well  and  as  befitted  his  imperial  state,  they  had  used 
their  position  merely  for  purposes  of  self-aggrandisement,  and  had 
neglected  their  sacred  duty  to  the  youthful  monarch,  their  natural 
charge  and  ward,  and  had  allowed  evil  counsellors,  such  as  Shuisky 
and  the  like,  to  become  the  depositaries  of  the  real  power  in  the 
State,  and  to  ruin  the  Tsar's  disposition  by  neglect,  and  even 
cruelty  and  wicked  counsels. 

Thus  two  ideas  took  root  at  the  beginning  of  this  dreadful 


A   BO  YAK   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  539 

day  among  the  superstitious,  terrified  throngs  of  the  people  ;  and 
when  such  ideas  once  become  planted  in  the  minds  of  our  Russian 
peasantry,  in  moments  of  excitement,  they  spread  as  quickly  and 
as  terribly  as  the  flames  which  were  now  creeping  from  house  to 
house  of  this  doomed  city  of  Moscow. 

Knowing  this,  it  occurred  to  me  at  once  to  warn  the  Tsar,  for 
it  struck  me  that  both  he  and  his  might  be  in  danger  before  very 
long  at  the  hands  of  the  people. 

I  hastened  therefore  to  the  palace  in  the  Kremlin,  not  without 
a  faint  hope  that  occasion  might  arise  this  day  to  show  the  Tsar 
who  were  his  true  friends,  and  to  atone,  if  it  might  be,  for  the 
great  offence  I  had  put  upon  my  master  by  my  passionate  and 
discourteous  words  on  more  than  one  occasion.  As  I  hastened 
towards  the  palace  I  overtook  a  familiar  figure.  Adashef,  speeding 
in  the  same  direction.  He  looked  harassed  and  thoughtful,  but 
he  smiled  upon  me  with  his  usual  sweet  and  friendly  expression. 

'What,  Stroganof?'  he  cried  cordially.  'Whither  away  so 
fast  ? ' 

'  I  go  to  warn  Ivan  Vasilitch,  Adashef,'  I  said ;  '  and  I  dare  be 
sworn  you  too  have  seen  the  fire  yonder  and  the  crowd,  and  have 
heard  the  foolish  talk  of  the  people,  and  are  bound  upon  the  same 
errand  ! ' 

'You  are  right,'  he  said  seriously;  '  crowds  are  evil  things, 
like  packs  of  wolves.  The  Tsar  is  warned  already.  I  sent  a 
messenger  to  bid  him  be  ready  to  depart  at  a  moment's  notice  if 
I  should  return  to  advise  him  that  this  is  necessary.  It  is  neces- 
sary ;  I  shall  persuade  him  to  retire  to  Vorobief.  Come  you  with 
me  to  his  presence  ;  your  stalwart  form  may  be  of  service  to-day, 
though  I  do  not  anticipate  actual  danger.' 

Here  was  an  enterprise  after  my  own  heart !  Oh,  I  thought, 
for  an  opportunity  to  lay  about  me  among  the  Tsar's  enemies, 
and  for  him  to  see  me  fight  his  battle !  He  should  talk  no  more 
of  disloyalty  after  this  ! 

Adashef  could  go  where  he  pleased  within  the  palace,  and  he 
led  me  straight  to  the  Tsars  private  apartment,  which  we  entered 
without  ceremony.     There  we  beheld  a  curious  sight. 

Side  by  side  upon  the  ground,  on  their  knees  before  the  ikon 
in  the  corner  of  the  room,  were  the  young  Tsar  and  his  beautiful 
Tsaritsa,  the  Komanof  boyarishnya  that  was — the  latter  weeping 
and  crossing  herself  and  praying  quietly  with  shut  eyes  ;  the  Tsar 
himself  babbling  his  prayers  audibly,  repeating  over  and  over 
again,   so  far  as  I  could  catch  it,  the  response  to  the   Litany 


54o  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

'  Gospode,  pomeeloy,'  '  Lord,  have  mercy ! '  with  exceeding 
rapidity,  and  crossing  himself  unceasingly.  A  third  figure  was 
present,  that  of  an  old  and  stately  lady,  whom  I  had  frequently 
seen  during  my  late  stay  in  the  capital.  This  was  old  Anna  Glinsky, 
the  grandmother  of  the  Tsar,  as  to  whom  there  were  many  mur- 
murings  among  the  people  this  day,  though  I  could  never  dis- 
cover why  she  was  set  down  by  them  as  a  witch,  and  as  directly 
responsible  for  the  fire ;  yet  this  idea  certainly  became  during  the 
day  the  central  conviction  of  the  masses ;  but  as  to  this,  I  am 
anticipating. 

Old  Anna  Glinsky  knelt  prostrate  behind  the  other  two,  her 
forehead  touching  the  ground.  As  we  entered  the  room  she 
turned  and  rose  to  her  feet  with  a  cry  of  terror,  but,  seeing  who 
we  were,  resumed  her  position  of  prostrate  worship. 

The  Tsar  also  looked  round,  pausing  an  instant  in  his  gabbling 
to  do  so.  He  glanced  at  Adashef  and  at  me,  frowning  even  at 
this  agitating  moment,  as  his  eye  met  mine,  and  then  returned 
to  his  devotions.  The  Tsaritsa  prayed  on  without  opening  her 
eyes. 

We  stood  and  waited  a  minute,  and  another,  and  five  more, 
and  still  the  Tsar  prayed  on.  Then  Adashef  took  my  arm  and 
led  me  from  the  room.  Outside  he  whispered  to  me  that  I  had 
best  make  my  way  to  Yorobief ;  for  the  Tsar  should  not  linger  in 
Moscow  if  he  (Adashef)  could  prevent  it,  and  in  half  an  hour  he 
must  be  on  his  way  to  that  country  residence.  At  Yorobief  T 
could  be  of  great  service  in  case  of  emergency. 

As  it  appeared  that  my  presence  was  neither  desired  nor 
required  here,  I  withdrew,  as  Adashef  suggested,  with  the  in- 
tention to  make  all  speed  from  the  city  in  the  direction  of  the 
Tsar's  country  palace. 

Just  as  I  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  my  companion,  the  Tsar 
opened  the  door  of  his  room  and  put  his  head  out. 

'  I  am  ready,  Adashef,'  he  said.  '  I  have  prayed  to  the  Lord, 
and  we  shall  be  protected  in  the  time  of  our  need ;  you  will  see.' 
Then  he  frowned,  seeing  that  I  still  stood  with  Adashef. 

'  What  do  you  here  ? '  he  said  angrily ;  '  do  you  not  know  that 
Moscow  is  burning  ?  See  that  the  tiger-cat  does  not  burn  also — ■ 
do  you  hear  me  ? '  My  brain  reeled  at  the  words.  I  had  not 
thought  of  any  danger  to  Yera  in  this  fire.  What  if  she  were  a 
prisoner,  unable  to  escape,  in  some  house  which  lay  in  the  path 
of  the  destroyer  !  I  staggered  at  the  thought  and  nearly  fell. 
'Go!'  he  added,  stamping  his  foot  at  me;   'find  her  while 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  541 

you  can!  Find  t lie  brothers  also,  and  send  them  to  me;  I  have 
a  mind  to  hang  them — for  I  will  have  no  tiger-cats  in  Moscow  ! ' 

'  Oh,  Tsar,'  I  groaned,  in  anguish  of  spirit,  '  if  you  know  where 
she  is  this  day,  for  the  love  of  God  tell  me,  that  I  may  indeed  be 
assured  that  she  is  safe  from  this  terror ! '  Ivan  waxed  furious  at 
the  words. 

•  I  neither  know  nor  care ! '  he  shouted  ;  '  what  is  this  maiden 
to  me  ?  If  she  burn  with  her  brothers  and  all  their  house,  it  is 
what  they  deserve  and  no  more.  Why  do  they  bring  this  woman 
to  Moscow  ?     Let  her  burn,  I  say ! — I  have  married  an ' 

'  Tsar  Ivan  Vasilitch,'  said  Adashef,  laying  his  hand  upon  his 
arm,  '  let  this  boyar  go  to  Vorobief,  where  he  may  be  of  use  to 
us  ;  it  is  time  that  we  went.     Listen  ! ' 

The  Tsar  listened  and  paled.  Distinctly  there  came  from  the 
square  without  the  sounds  of  a  gathering  multitude.  '  It  is  true,' 
said  Ivan.  '  Stroganof,'  he  continued,  turning  again  towards  me, 
'as  God  is  in  heaven,  Osip  Krilof  was  here  this  morning,  and  I 
refused  to  see  him.  I  warned  him  to  go  hence.  Does  this  satisfy 
thee  ?  Before  all  the  angels  of  heaven,  Stroganof,  I  have  treated 
thee  better  than  I  ever  treated  man  before  this  day.  Find  her, 
or  let  her  burn — what  care  I?'  The  Tsar  laughed,  frowned — 
turned  and  frowned  again,  and  disappeared.  My  heart  and  brain 
were  on  fire  as  I  hastened  through  the  corridors  and  into  the 
street. 

But  a  fearful  scene  was  enacting  there ;  a  scene  that  put  for 
the  moment  out  of  my  head  even  thoughts  and  fears  for  Vera's 
welfare. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

MY    PRINCESS. 

The  Great  Uspensky  Square,  in  front  of  the  church  of  that  name, 
was  half  full  already  of  a  howling,  shouting  mob  of  people;  this 
much  I  saw,  and  ran  back  to  warn  the  Tsar  and  his  ladies.  But 
Adashef  had  not  wasted  his  moments,  and  I  could  find  neither 
him  nor  his  master.  I  therefore  returned  to  the  square,  trusting 
that  they  had  made  good  their  retreat  by  another  exit,  and  mixed 
with  the  mob  in  order  to  discover,  if  I  could,  what  was  the  sense 
of  the  people,  and  what  their  grievance  and  intentions  :  whether, 
especially,  it  was  the  Tsar  or  the  Glinskys  who  were  the  particular 


542  A  BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE. 

object  of  enmity  to  this  mass  of  discontented  humanity.  Very 
soon  I  found,  to  my  relief,  that  it  was  the  Grlinsky  faction  that 
was  in  disgrace.  The  reason  astonished  me  :  I  heard  it  from  the 
lips  of  one  of  the  crowd,  the  centre  of  a  circle  of  listeners,  who 
ranted  and  talked  for  some  moments  before  I  could  gather  the 
meaning  of  his  words — '  The  hearts  of  Christian  people,  whom  she 
has  first  murdered ' — he  was  saying — '  and  boiled  them  down  ; 
and  with  the  water  from  this  hellish  stew  she  has  sprinkled  the 
streets  of  Moscow;  and  wherever  she  has  done  this  the  fire  is 
spreading  or  will  spread.  They  are  enchanters  and  witches,  these 
Glinskys,  every  one  of  them  ! ' 

'  Down  with  the  Cflinskys  ! '  cried  a  dozen  voices. 

1  Yes,  down  with  them  indeed  ! '  continued  the  orator ;  '  they 
have  destroyed  Moscow  and  corrupted  the  young  Tsar — down 
with  the  Grlinsky s,  or  he  too  will  become  an  enchanter  and  boil 
the  hearts  of  Christian  people.  Bat,  above  all,  down  with  Anna 
Grlinsky,  the  arch-enchantress  ! ' 

'  Down  with  all  of  them,  every  one  ! '  cried  some  one.  '  Who 
knows  the  Grlinskys  by  sight  ? ' 

'  I  know  Yuri,'  said  one. 

'  And  I  know  Ivan,'  said  another ;  '  and,  of  course,  Anna 
Yegorovna ! ' 

'  Then  watch  for  them,  for  they  are  sure  to  come  before  long,' 
said  the  first  speaker,  '  and  when  each  one  comes  seize  him 
immediately,  and — you  know  how  to  deal  with  such  people ; 
the  fire  will  not  burn  itself  out  until  we  have  finished  with  Anna 
and  her  devil-whelps  ! ' 

'  Rope  or  stones  ? '  shouted  some  one,  '  or  plain  sticks  ? ' 

'  Yes,  yes ;  that  or  anything,  stones  or  swords — their  own 
swords,  if  you  like  ;  only  let  them  be  wiped  out.' 

Just  at  this  moment  a  boyar  strode  quickly  into  the  square, 
making  for  the  palace  ;  I  knew  him  at  once  ;  it  was  Yuri  Grlinsky, 
the  Tsar's  uncle.  He  evidently  suspected  nothing  of  the  dis- 
turbance or  of  his  own  danger,  for  he  went  proudly,  as  usual, 
disdaining  the  plebeian  throng,  and  neither  thinking  of  them  nor 
listening  to  them. 

'  See,  there  goes  one  of  them  ! '  cried  some  one.  '  It  is  Yuri 
Grlinsky.' 

'  He  is  right ;  it  is  one  of  the  accursed  ! '  cried  another. 

'  Down  with  him ! '  shouted  a  dozen  voices ;  '  down  with  all 
the  G-linskys ! ' 

Yuri  could  not  now  fail  to  observe  the  menacing  aspect  of  the 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  543 

crowd ;  he  started  and  flushed,  and  was  about  to  speak,  when  a 
stone  struck  him  in  the  chest.  He  was  close  to  the  door  of  the 
Uspensky  Church,  and  he  darted  into  it  for  sanctuary. 

But  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  crowd  darted  in  after  him,  and  a 
moment  later  these  reappeared,  dragging  their  victim  between 
them.  Instantly  he  was  despatched,  and  his  body  hacked  into  a 
thousand  little  pieces,  which  were  straightway  trampled  into  the 
dust  of  the  square. 

'  Well  done,  brothers,  well  done ! '  cried  the  agitator,  who,  I 
observed,  took  no  part  in  the  actual  performance  of  this  swift  but 
terrible  tragedy ;  '  there  is  one  of  the  devil's  brood  accounted  for  ! 
Now  watch  for  Ivan — and  then  we  will  demand  Anna  herself — 
the  arch-fiend ! ' 

That  '  watching  '  for  Ivan  OHinsky  proved  fatal  to  several  un- 
fortunate boyars  who.  if  not  innocent  persons  themselves,  at  all 
events  were  not  Oflinskys.  A  young  Kojin  was  caught  and  killed, 
by  mistake  ;  so  also  was  a  Sheremetieff,  and  young  Ignatief,  whom 
I  knew  by  sight,  all  his  protests  being  unavailing  because  some 
one  in  the  crowd  declared  that  he  was  Ivan  G-linsky.  Then  a 
fourth  mistake  was  nearly  made.  I  thank  the  Most  Merciful  that 
I  was  enabled  to  prevent  it,  for  otherwise — but  let  me  describe 
what  happened. 

Watching,  as  I  was — like  the  rest— the  top  of  the  square,  I 
suddenly  beheld  a  boyar  enter  among  the  throng  of  people  still 
crowding  in,  whose  face  at  the  distance  that  separated  us  seemed 
remarkably  familiar.  It  was,  I  saw  at  once,  either  Osip  Krilof, 
Vera's  eldest  brother,  or  some  one  so  like  him  that  they  might  be 
mistaken  one  for  the  other.  As  he  drew  nearer  I  became  more 
and  more  certain  that  this  was  indeed  Osip  and  no  other,  and  the 
discovery  so  excited  me  that  I  began  to  struggle  towards  him 
through  the  crowd,  and  grasped  him  tightly  by  the  arm  as  I  came 
near  enough  to  do  so,  shouting — perhaps  involuntarily — that  I 
bad  found  him  at  last  and  shaking  him,  in  my  fury  and  agitation, 
as  a  cat  would  a  mouse.  This  fury  of  mine  the  crowd  misinter- 
preted, and  a  cry  was  instantly  raised  that  here  was  a  (ilinsky. 
Half  a  score  of  rough  hands  laid  hold  on  him  in  a  moment,  and  a 
score  of  stones  were  raised  to  hurl  at  his  head. 

'  Stop,  idiots  ! '  I  shouted,  shaking  off  those  whose  hands  were 
already  upon  him  ;  '  this  is  no  more  a  Grlinsky  than  I  am.  You 
have  murdered  three  innocent  men  ;  is  not  that  enougli  for 
you  ? ' 

'  May  be  you're  a  Glinsky  yourself!'  shouted  some  one,  and 


544  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

the  cry  was  taken  up  by  two  or  three.  One  fellow  laid  his  hand 
upon  me ;  I  stretched  him  at  my  feet  with  a  blow  of  the  fist. 

'  Do  the  Glinskys  strike  like  that  ? '  I  asked,  '  and  am  I  of  the 
age  of  the  Oflinskys  ?  They  are  men  of  forty  and  more ;  I  am 
scarcely  eighteen.  I  am  Stroganof — let  me  alone,  fools,  and  this 
man  also ;  he  is  a  Krilof,  a  stranger  in  Moscow  like  myself,  and 
has  nothing  to  do  with  the  Glinskys.' 

'  His  name  is  Stroganof,  right  enough,'  cried  some  one — and  I 
was  grateful  indeed  to  my  unknown  friend — '  for  I  heard  the 
godsman,  Ivan  Blajenny,  call  him  so  yesterday.  I  don't  know 
about  the  other — he  may  be  a  G-linsky,  but  he  looks  full  young 
for  one  of  that  litter  ! ' 

Luckily  another  unfortunate  now  entered  the  square,  and 
attention  was  centred  upon  him,  we  apparently  having  success- 
fully passed  through  the  ordeal ;  and  I  took  the  opportunity  of 
dragging  my  man  out  of  the  Kremlin  enclosure  and  into  a  quiet 
street.  The  roar  of  the  crowds  continued  upon  our  right  hand ; 
upon  the  left,  the  flame  and  smoke  of  a  thousand  burning  houses 
looked  like  the  very  pit  of  hell,  and  the  shouts  and  shrieks  that 
came  up  from  the  blackness  and  glare  might  have  been  the  voices 
of  the  lost  spirits. 

'  Come,'  I  said,  '  where  is  she  ?  Quickly — is  she  in  danger 
from  the  fire  ? — that  first ! ' 

'  Before  God — no  ! '  said  Osip,  who  looked  half  dead  with 
terror,  '  or  I  should  not  be  here  ! ' 

'  Then  lead  me  to  her  at  once,'  I  said,  still  retaining  my  hold 
upon  his  arm,  '  and  the  quicker  we  go  the  better  chance  for  thee 
that  I  spare  thy  life ! ' 

'  My  life  ?  '  he  said,  '  but  what  if  I  take  yours  ?  And  what  if  I 
refuse  altogether  to  lead  you  to  my  sister  ? ' 

'  Then,  Osip,'  I  said,  '  I  take  you  back  to  the  Uspensky  Square, 
and  you  are  Ivan  Glinsky  again ;  I  have  seen  four  Ivan  Glinskys 
cut  up  into  a  thousand  pieces  this  day,  and  trampled  in  the  dust.' 
I  could  see  Osip  tremble,  and  his  face  was  the  oolour  of  ash ;  but 
the  Krilofs  have  spirit,  and  he  showed  as  bold  a  front  as  he 
could. 

'  If  you  were  a  man,'  he  said,  '  you  would  fight  me  fair,  here 
and  now ;  but  you  are  a  coward  and  threaten  me  with  the  mob.' 

'  Very  well,'  I  replied  ;  '  then  I  am  a  coward — for  the  present. 
I  will  fight  you  fair  afterwards,  if  need  be — though  I  shall  certainly 
kill  you,  Osip,  if  we  fight.  But  for  the  present  I  am  a  coward^ 
and  you  sha1!  lead  me  to  Vera ;  now  march ! ' 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  545 

'  I  will  not,'  said  he,  setting  his  face. 

1  Very  well,  Ivan  Glinsky,'  I  said,  '  then  ho  !  for  the  l'spen-ky  ! ' 
and  with  the  words  I  dragged  him  towards  the  Kremlin  ;  I  was 
three  times  as  strong  as  he,  and  he  knew  it.  though  he  struggled. 

'  Stop/  he  said,  '  and  let  go ;  I  will  take  you  to  Vera.' 

1  Spoken  like  a  wise  man,'  said  I ;  'it  is  better  to  be  Osip 
Krilof  in  one  piece  than  Ivan  Glinsky  in  a  thousand  !     Lead  on  ! ' 

Through  big  and  little  streets  we  went,  now  almost  within  the 
smoke  and  heat  of  the  fire  and  half  choked  with  the  horrid  fumes  ; 
now  leaving  these,  as  well  as  the  roar  of  the  flames  and  the  shottts 
and  shrieks  of  the  population  far  behind  us,  until  at  last  we  were 
in  the  very  outskirts  of  the  city  and  at  no  great  distance  from 
that  very  Vorobief  to  which  the  Tsar  was  to  fly.  or  had  already 
retreated.  Here,  standing  alone  in  the  midst  of  a  tangled  garden, 
was  an  old  wooden  dacha,  or  country  house,  and  there — sure 
enough — as  I  gazed  up  at  the  windows :  there,  from  one  of  these 
at  the  top  of  the  house,  fluttered  the  promised  white  handker- 
chief. 

My  poor  Vera,  how  should  I  ever  have  found  her  but  for  the 
accident  of  the  Glinsky  riot  ?  She  might  well  have  stayed  on 
here  for  the  full  two  years  and  I  should  never  have  discovered 
her! 

I  had  spoken  no  word  to  Osip  during  the  whole  length  of  our 
walk,  nor  he  to  me,  neither  did  I  now ;  but  I  pushed  him  before 
me  up  the  stairs,  he  haggard  with  fury  and  perhaps  with  shame, 
I  haggard  also  with  fury  and  with  eagerness  to  behold  once  again 
my  beloved  princess. 

The  door  was  locked  from  outside.  (  teip  unlocked  it  without 
a  word,  and  returned  down  the  stairs.  I  neither  thought  nor 
cared  what  had  become  of  him  ;  I  only  knew  that  I  had  found  my 
betrothed,  and  that  she  was  folded  once  again  in  my  arms. 

When  I  descended  the  stairs,  presently,  with  Vera,  Osip  was 
waiting  for  us  at  the  bottom  with  drawn  sword  ;  I  drew  mine  also. 

'  Now,'  he  said,  '  to  the  garden  ! '  I  would  have  dissuaded 
him,  but  he  would  not  hear  of  it,  though  he  knew  he  had  no 
chance  against  me. 

1  Be  content,  Osip,  and  go  back  to  Kamka,  you  and  Fcodor,' 
I  said ;  '  I  would  not  shed  your  blood.' 

'  But  I  will  shed  yours,'  said  he.  '  if  I  can  ;  tome,  defend  ! ' 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  '  I  wi^l  not  slay  him  outright. 
Vera,'  I  whispered.  Vera  was  very  pale,  but  her  face  was  set  and 
firm. 


546  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE, 

1  He  is  in  your  hands,  and  God's,'  she  said. 

{  Stay  here,  my  soul,  and  trust  me ! '  I  whispered  back,  and 
then  I  went  into  the  garden,  and  we  set  to  in  earnest. 

Osip  did  his  best,  but  in  two  minutes  I  had  him  breathless 
and  at  mercy.  '  I  can  kill  you  now,  Osip,'  I  said,  '  and  if  I 
thought  you  would  have  sold  your  sister  this  day  to  the  Tsar,  I 
would ! ' 

'  The  Krilofs  do  not  even  imagine  such  things,'  he  panted. 

I  am  certain  that  Osip  Krilof  spoke  only  the  truth. 

'  Then  why  are  you  in  Moscow,  and  why  was  she  locked  up, 
and  why  did  you  visit  the  Tsar  this  day  ?  '  I  asked,  fencing  lan- 
guidly to  give  him  breath.  Neither  of  us  was  an  accomplished 
swordsman,  but  I  was  stronger,  and  had  a  quicker  eye  than  he, 
and  was  also  in  better  condition. 

'  To  the  first  two  questions  I  answer,  in  order  to  keep  her  safe 
from  meddling  and  undesired  suitors ;  as  for  my  visit  to  the  Tsar, 
he  saw  me  and  sent  for  me  ! ' 

'  Oh  ! '  I  said,  surprised ;  '  and  then  refused  to  see  you  ? ' 

'  That  is  true,'  said  Osip,  flushing.  We  fenced  a  little  while 
in  silence. 

'  Now,  Krilof,  will  you  shake  hands  upon  the  past,  and  go 
hence  where  you  will  ? '  I  cried  at  last. 

'  What,  with  the  man  who  slew  my  brother  ?  Not  I,'  said 
Osip ;  '  do  your  worst.' 

'  My  worst  I  will  not  do,'  I  said,  '  but  if  you  must  have  the 
point,  the  point  you  shall  have ! '  and  I  drove  my  man  backwards 
till  I  could  plant  my  weapon  where  I  would,  which  was  in  the 
upper  portion  of  his  sword-arm.  He  dropped  his  sword  with  a 
cry  and  leant  against  a  tree.  I  would  have  bound  his  wound  for 
him,  but  he  waved  me  off  savagely. 

'  If  you  will  not,'  I  said,  '  then  you  will  not ;  I  can  do  no 
more ! '  and  with  these  words  I  bowed  and  departed. 

I  reassured  Vera  as  to  the  well-being  of  Osip,  and  then  we  two 
set  out  for  Vorobief,  for  I  was  obliged  to  take  her  with  me,  having 
nowhere  else  to  leave  her. 

There  were  many  others,  I  found,  also  on  the  way  to  Vorobief, 
and  among  these  I  soon  recognised,  to  my  astonishment  and  con- 
sternation, the  agitator  of  the  Uspensky  Square.  He  being  here, 
I  concluded,  the  real  Ivan  Glinsky  must  have  been  caught  and 
killed ;  and  now  he  is  on  the  way  to  Vorobief  to  demand  Anna 
Glinsky  at  the  Tsar's  hands,  even  as  he  threatened.  The  mob 
must  then  have  sought  the  Tsar  at  the  Kremlin,  and  found  him 


A  BOYAk   OF  THE   TERRIBLE,  547 

flown.  Good  Adashef!  Naturally  only  a  very  small  proportion 
of  the  Kremlin  crowd  had  followed  the  ringleader  so  far  out  as 
this  ;  but  there  was  a  mob  quite  sufficiently  large  to  be  significant, 
and — since  it  consisted,  naturally,  of  the  bolder  and  more  savage 
spirits — dangerous. 

In  the  courtyard  at  Vorobief,  two  or  three  hundred  noisy 
persons  assembled,  and  commenced  to  shout  as  soon  as  they 
arrived,  hammering  also  at  the  doors  and  lower  windows  of  the 
house  in  which  the  Tsar  lived,  and  in  which  he  was  actually 
ensconced  at  that  very  moment,  both  he  and  the  '  Enchantress,' 
Anna  Glinsky,  whose  name  was  on  the  lips  of  the  turbulent  people. 

As  for  me,  I  stood  on  the  fringe  of  the  crowd  nearest  the 
palace ;  for  in  case  of  emergency  my  place  must,  of  course,  be  at 
the  Tsar's  side.  I  bade  Vera  keep  farther  back,  and  hide  her  face 
as  much  as  possible,  for  it  was  just  as  well  that  the  Tsar  should 
not  see  her,  if,  as  was  likely  enough  to  be  the  case,  he  was  even 
now  watching  us  all  from  an  upper  window.  I  feared  that  the 
mob  might,  in  a  moment  of  fury  and  excitement,  break  open  the 
door  and  flow  like  a  flood  throughout  the  building,  slaying  whom- 
soever they  met — Tsar,  or  boyar,  or  boyarina.  If  they  did  so,  I 
should  endeavour  to  be  the  first  in,  and  to  hold  the  stairs. 

But  while  I  waited  and  revolved  all  this  with  beating  heart, 
a  memorable  and  wonderful  thing  happened — a  thing  which 
renewed  and  revived  all  my  love  and  admiration  for  my  young 
but  most  imperial  master,  if,  indeed,  that  love  and  admiration 
had  ever  really  failed,  in  spite  of  our  repeated  disagreements  and 
quarrels. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

FLIGHT. 

Is  a  word,  the  door  suddenly  opened  vide,  and  out  walked  the 
young  Tsar  himself,  his  face  pale  with  anger,  but  instinct  with 
majesty;  unarmed,  excepting  for  the  usual  spiked  staff,  but 
attired  in  a  magnificent  kaftan  as  though  for  a  state  reception. 
Behind  him  were  Xikita  Komanof,  the  brother  of  the  Tsaritea, 
and  Adashef.  His  falcon  eyes  ranged  over  the  crowd  very 
haughtily ;  but  happily  they  observed  only  generally  and  not 
particularly,  and  both  I  and  Vera  escaped  notice.  The  Tsar 
looked  marvellously  young  and  boyish  for  all  his  majesty. 


548  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

'  Well,'  lie  said,  c  my  children,  what  means  this  noise  and 
tumult  ? ' 

Several  voices  in  the  crowd  shouted  '  Anna  Glinsky !  we 
demand  Anna  Glinsky  ! ' 

'  Indeed  ?  '  said  the  young  Tsar,  very  haughtily,  '  you  demand 
Anna  Glinsky,  the  august  grandmother  of  your  Sovereign ;  and 
why  do  you  demand  at  my  hands  this  gracious  and  august 
lady?' 

'  She  has  murdered  the  orthodox  and  boiled  their  hearts  in 
water ! '  cried  one  or  two. 

'  And  with  that  water  she  has  sprinkled  the  streets  of  Moscow, 
thus  causing  the  fire  ! '  cried  others. 

'  She  is  a  witch  and  a  devil ! '  shrieked  one  enthusiast ;  '  we 
will  cut  her  in  pieces  and  thus  save  you  from  her,  Ivan  Vasilitch, 
whether  you  will  or  no  ! ' 

'  Indeed,  is  it  so,  my  children  ? '  said  the  Tsar,  preserving  his 
composure  marvellously,  considering  his  passionate  spirit.  '  Go 
back,  then,  to  your  homes,  and  save  your  goods  and  your  children 
from  the  fire.  The  Almighty  has  sent  this  infliction  for  your 
own  sins,  not  for  any  misdeeds  of  the  great  lady  whose  name  you 
pollute  by  uttering  it ;  go  home,  I  say,  before  I  reconsider  my 
mercy  towards  you  ! ' 

But  some  of  the  people,  encouraged  b}r  my  friend  the  agitator 
from  the  Kremlin,  still  shouted,  '  Anna  Glinsky,  we  will  have  the 
witch  !  Let  her  be  thrown  down  to  us  !  We  will  not  depart  with- 
out her ! ' 

Then  asserted  himself  the  real  Ivan.  '  You  dogs!'  he  shrieked, 
flushing  red  with  rising  passion  ;  'must  I  drive  you  away  with  my 
own  hands  ? ' 

Some  one  at  my  elbow  cried,  '  Down  with  the  grandson  of  the 
witch!'  I,  without  a  thought  of  the  consequences,  turned 
instantly  and  felled  the  man.  Adashef  and  Eomanof  stepped 
in  front  of  the  Tsar,  drawing  their  swords ;  Ivan  pushed  them 
angrily  aside ;  some  of  the  crowd  began  to  sneak  out  of  the 
yard ;  all  fell  back  a  pace  or  two,  all  excepting  my  fallen  friend. 
I  had  struck  him  with  my  fist  only,  but  he  lay  still,  breathing 
stertorously,  and  unconscious.  Ivan  stepped  forward,  as  though 
to  mingle  with  the  crowd ;  his  face  was  white,  with  one  red  spot 
in  each  cheek ;  his  eyes  wore  their  wildest  expression. 

'  Let  another  man  say  "  Down  with  the  Tsar !  " '  he  shouted. 
No  one  spoke. 

'  What,  only  one  traitor  among  you  all?'  he  said  witheringly, 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  540 

'or  many  cowards?  Let  another  man  cry  "Down  with  Anna 
Glinsky  !  "  '     Still  no  one  spoke. 

'Good  ;  then  you  may  go,'  said  the  Tsar,  '  most  of  you  ;  a  few 
will  stay  behind.  I  have  seen  who  are  the  offenders;  step  out, 
you  sir,'  he  continued,  addressing  the  agitator,  the  real  ringleader 
of  the  mob.  'I  have  observed  your  energy,  which  must  be 
tamed;  you  are  dissatisfied,  is  it  not  so?'  As  though  without 
design,  the  Tsar  brought  his  spike  down,  pinning  the  wretched 
man's  foot  to  the  ground.  He  yelled  and  shrieked  with  the  pain 
of  it ;  most  of  the  crowd  took  alarm  instantly  and  retired  like  a 
flock  of  sheep.  I  saw  Vera  leave  the  yard  among  the  rest,  and 
signed  to  her  to  wait  outside,  for  I  longed  to  make  my  peace  with 
the  Tsar. 

But  not  all  of  the  mob  were  allowed  to  depart.  The  Tsar's 
wonderful  eye  seemed  to  have  marked  every  one  of  those  who  had 
constituted  themselves  the  mouthpieces  of  the  rest,  and  each  of 
these  was  stopped  and  detained  by  his  orders.  What  became  of 
them  and  of  the  ringleader  I  never  learned.  My  victim  still  lay 
groaning  on  the  ground,  and  was  removed  with  the  rest,  still 
unconscious. 

The  Tsar  stood  talking  with  Adashef.  He  looked  over  his 
shoulder  once  or  twice  and  scowled  at  me  ;  this  disappointed  me 
greatly,  for  though  my  service  had  been  of  the  smallest,  yet  I  had 
hoped  that,  such  as  it  was,  he  would  have  accounted  it  a  virtue. 
Adashef  came  and  spoke  to  me  presently,  seeing  that  I  still 
lingered ;  the  Tsar  was  unaccountably  angry  with  me,  he  said, 
and  would  prefer  it  if  I  withdrew  without  waiting  for  an  audience. 
There  was,  therefore,  nothing  to  be  done,  and  I  prepared  to  de- 
part. As  I  neared  the  entrance  to  the  courtyard,  however,  hearing 
footsteps  behind  me,  I  turned  and  saw  the  Tsar  following  me.  He 
looked  pale  and  careworn,  and  signed  to  me  to  stop;  the  boyars 
had  remained  behind. 

'  I  see  you  have  found  her,  after  all,'  he  said,  and  I  could  dis- 
tinctly see  him  tremble  with  agitation  as  he  spoke.  He  glanced 
at  the  gate  of  the  yard.     '  Is  the  boyarishnya  well  ?  ' 

Nothing,  then,  had  escaped  that  hawk-eye  ! 

'  Perfectly  well,  your  Highness  ! '  I  said  ;  '  she  was  a  prisoner ; 
I  found  Osip  Krilof  and  compelled  him  to  release  her.' 

'  Where  is  Osip  Krilof  ? '  asked  the  Tsar,  in  a  curious,  hungry- 
like  manner. 

I  told  him  where  I  had  found  Vera. 

'  And  she  is  well  ?  '  repeated  Ivan. 


55°  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

1  Well,  and  beautiful  as  ever,'  I  said  foolishly. 

'  She  was  certainly  beautiful,'  the  Tsar  rejoined,  musingly ; 
'as  beautiful  as  the  splendour  of  the  morning.  And  now,'  he 
continued,  '  you  will  take  her  to  Perm — and  marry  her  ? ' 

'  Yes,'  I  said  ;  '  and  marry  her.' 

1  Marry  whom  you  will,'  said  the  Tsar,  growing  a  shade  paler  ; 
'  what  is  it  to  me  ?  ' 

'  It  is  nothing  to  thee,  Tsar  Ivan  Vasilitch,'  I  said  boldly, 
looking  him  in  the  eyes.  He  flushed  and  stamped,  and  I  feared 
for  a  moment  that  his  present  placable  temper  might  change  for 
the  worse ;  but  he  controlled  himself. 

'  It  is  this  to  me,'  he  said,  '  that,  having  married  this  woman, 
thou  shalt  never  look  upon  my  face  again ;  nor  I  on  thine,  or  on 
hers.' 

'  That  must  be  as  God  wills,  Tsar  Ivan  Vasilitch,'  I  said  ;  '  who 
knows,  there  may  come  a  day  when  I  shall  have  deserved  so  well 
of  thee  that  all  this  will  be  forgotten  and  forgiven ! ' 

1  Never,  Stroganof ;  assure  yourself  of  that,'  he  said  earnestly  ; 
'  you  are  to  choose  now  and  for  ever ;  nay,  you  need  not  speak  ; 
the  choice  is  made  already.  I  know  it  well !  Now  go,  and  go 
quickly  ;  and  God  forgive  thee  and  me  that  which  we  do  or  design 
amiss  ! '  The  Tsar  embraced  me — I  felt  a  wondrous  love  and  pity 
for  him  at  this  moment ;  but  I  knew  that  his  mood  would  change, 
and  that  I  could  not  count  upon  his  favour,  even  this  much  of  it, 
from  hour  to  hour,  therefore  I  said  nothing. 

1  Now  go,'  he  repeated,  '  lest  I  suddenly  kill  thee,  Sasha.'  My 
eyes  were  full  of  tears  as  I  prepared  to  leave  him.  '  Stay,'  he  said, 
'  is  she  here  at  hand  ?     Nay,  I  know  she  is  ;  I  feel  it ' 

'  She  waits  without,'  I  said. 

'  Then  fetch  her,  Sasha,  that  I  may  bid  her  farewell,'  he  said, 
and  I  could  see  that  his  hands  were  all  a-tremble,  and  his  lips 
twitched  convulsively.  '  And — stay — '  he  added,  '  let  me  tell  you 
this,  Sasha.  when  you  go  away,  you  and  she,  now,  I  mean,  after 
this,  take  horses  and  ride,  and,  for  the  love  of  God,  and  for  the 
sake  of  your  own  love,  ride  quickly.  Do  you  understand  me  ? 
Ride  quickly,  as  though  the  devil  were  after  you  ! ' 

'  I  understand,'  I  said. 

'  Now  bring  her  to  me,  bring  her  to  me  ;  I  will  see  her  once 
again,'  he  said  hoarsely,  '  and  then  perhaps  no  more.' 

I  went  in  search  of  Vera,  and  found  her  close  at  hand.  She 
was  surprised  and  somewhat  agitated  to  hear  that  the  Tsar 
desired  to  bid  her  farewell ;  but  I  reassured  her,  telling  her  of  his 


A   BO  YAK   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  551 

marvellously  softened  mood,  and  conducted  her  back  to  the  court- 
yard. 

But  when  we  reached  the  place  at  which  I  had  left  the  Tsar, 
the  yard  was  empty,  and  I  saw  no  trace  of  Ivan. 

1  Come  away,  Sasha,'  said  Vera ;  '  come  away,  quickly  ;  it  is 
better  so.'  And  then,  as  we  hurried  back  to  Moscow,  my  princess 
told  me  that  she  had  caught  sight  of  the  Tsar's  face,  half  hidden, 
at  a  window,  and  that  >he  was  startled  at  the  paleness  of  it. 

The  city  of  Moscow  was  at  this  time  a  terrible  sight. 
Through  the  city  in  several  directions  ran  wide  pathways  of  ruin 
and  desolation,  and  the  flames  still  continued  their  onward  march. 
Wherever  the  eye  rested  there  was  the  same  horrid  spectacle  of 
blazing,  smoking  ruins,  and  of  weeping  men  and  wailing  women 
and  shrieking  children.  The  hand  of  God  lay  heavy  indeed  upon 
Moscow  on  that  dread  day  of  wrath,  and  it  is  said  that  a  full  half 
of  the  city  was  burned  down  during  this  and  the  following  days. 
We  ourselves  saw,  as  we  passed,  the  Krilof  mansion  on  fire,  but 
did  not  stay  to  watch  the  destruction.  My  own,  or  rather  our 
family  house,  still  stood,  but  the  servants  were  busy  removing 
valuables  in  carts  and  on  horseback,  with  the  intention  of  carrying 
everything  worth  the  trouble  to  a  small  estate  which  we  own  near 
the  Troitsky  Monastery.  Luckily  there  were  still  horses  in  the 
stable,  and  my  princess  and  I  lost  no  time  in  selecting  the  two 
most  promising  of  these  and  mounting  them  ;  and  so,  with  scarce 
a  moment's  delay,  we  started  upon  our  long  ride,  for  I  remem- 
bered the  Tsar's  words,  and  understood  well  enough  that  Ivan 
knew  his  own  disposition,  and  that  he  would  act  as  his  passion 
dictated  when  in  the  evil  mood. 

Therefore  we  rode  fa.>t  and  spared  not  our  horses,  and  when 
night  fell — the  animals  still  having  a  measure  of  strength  in  them 
— we  did  not  stop  to  rest,  but  rode  on  until  they  could  run  no 
farther.  I  had  told  Vera  of  the  Tsar's  warning,  and  she  had 
flu>hed  and  then  laughed,  and  said  that  she  never  liked  the  Tsar 
so  well  as  for  that  speech. 

'But,'  she  had  added,  '  I  .-hall  love  him  the  better  for  every 
mile  that  we  can  place  between  him  and  us  ! ' 

When  the  horses  were  tired  out,  Vera's  spirit  still  upheld  h?r; 
but  she  was  very  weary,  for  all  her  spirit,  and  I  was  glad  to  reach 
a  village  which  contained  the  house  of  a  boy  ar  well  known  to  me; 
and  though  he  himself  was  absent  in  Moscow,  his  servants  received 
us — as  they  would  have  received  any  others  of  boyar  rank  that 
demanded  hospitality — and  I  had  the  unspeakable  bliss  of  reflect- 

VOL.  XXVIII.    NO.  CLXVIII.  P  p 


552  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

ing  that  my  princess  was  safe  and  free,  and — better  than  this — 
resting  peacefully  under  the  same  roof  as  I,  and  under  my  own 
protection.  Nor  man  nor  devil,  I  said  to  myself,  should  tear  her 
from  me  again.  In  which  blessed  assurance  I  too  fell  asleep,  and 
rested  right  well,  for,  in  truth,  I  had  had  a  fatiguing  day. 

On  the  following  morning  we  were  up  and  off  again,  and — 
since  there  is  little  to  relate  of  this  rapid  retreat  until  we  reached 
Euchief,  excepting  that  we  rode  almost  night  and  day  until  we 
approached  that  blessed  village— it  may  as  well  be  said  at  once 
that  we  galloped  safely  up  to  the  porch  of  our  good  priest's  house, 
he  being  overjoyed  to  see  us  together  and  safe,  and  that  by  this 
holy  man  my  princess  and  I  were  duly,  though  hurriedly,  united 
in  those  sacred  bonds  of  union  which  even  Tsars  cannot  loosen  if 
they  would.  But  though,  by  the  mercy  of  the  Highest,  we  thus 
attained  the  summit  of  our  desires  and  the  supremity  of  happi- 
ness, yet  we  were  not  by  any  means  quit  of  our  troubles  and  the 
dangers  of  the  retreat. 

We  had  seen  nothing  of  any  pursuers  up  to  this  point,  and  I 
had  begun  to  be  quite  sanguine  as  to  the  permanent  reform  in  the 
Tsar's  disposition. 

'  His  benevolence  has  lasted,  Vera,  for  once ! '  I  said.  Vera 
shook  her  head. 

'  I  do  not  trust  his  benevolence,'  she  said  ;  '  he  is  two  men  in 
one,  and  never  either  for  long.  He  will  have  regretted  his  kind- 
ness after  an  hour  of  benevolence,  and  when  the  other  humour 
came,  in  its  turn,  he  probably  sent  an  armed  party  after  us.  And 
if  not  he,  then  my  brothers.  We  must  not  delay,  Sasha,  my  soul ; 
let  us  ride  on  ! ' 

Vera  was  right.  Even  though  the  Tsar  had  remained  kind — 
which  was  unlikely — her  brothers  would  leave  no  stone  unturned 
to  assemble  a  party  and  pursue  us  most  relentlessly. 

'  Shall  I  tell  you  what  I  think  of  the  Tsar  in  this  matter, 
Vera  ? '  I  said,  as  we  rode  gaily  together,  man  and  wife  now,  and 
light  of  heart  and  joyous  as  the  birds  that  sang  around  us  this 
glorious  day  in  early  July. 

'  What  ? '  she  said,  laughing ;  '  that  he  is  like  a  spoilt  child 
that  would  have  all  the  toys  to  play  with  and  the  rest  none  ? ' 

'  Nay — rather  that  he  is  to  be  pitied  and  loved  for  what  he  has 
done  and  felt.' 

1  And  what  is  that  ? '  asked  Vera,  blushing  a  little. 

'  He  has  seen  my  princess,'  I  replied  gallantly,  '  and  that  is 
the  same  as  saying  that  he  loves  her.' 


A    BOYAR    OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  553 

'  Nay,'  said  Vera,  flushing  more  deeply,  '  it  is  the  Romanof 
that  he  loves ;  can  a  man  love  two  women  at  once  ? ' 

'  I  cannot,'  I  said  ;  '  but  upon  my  soul  it  looks  as  though  a 
Tsar  can.     Do  you  think  he  loves  the  Romanof  ? ' 

"  Certainly."  said  Vera,  '  in  one  way.' 

1  And  thee  in  another  ? ' 

1  If  you  will  have  it  so,'  said  she,  '  me  in  another.  Perhaps 
her  with  his  good  self,  and  me  with  the  evil ;  who  knows  ?  He  is 
a  double  man,  two  men  in  one  ;  all  who  know  him  are  aware  of 
that.' 

This  was  a  novel  theory  indeed. 

'  And  which  loves  the  more,  the  good  Ivan  or  the  evil  Ivan  ? ' 
I  asked,  laughing. 

'  I  think  we  will  speak  of  something  else,'  she  said  ;  '  I  am 
tired  of  the  Tsar  for  a  subject.' 

;  But,  seriously,  my  soul,'  said  I,  'lam  full  of  great  pity  for 
this  young  Tsar ;  for,  who  knows  ?  it  is  possible  that  he  has  made 
a  great  sacrifice  ;  such  a  sacrifice  as  I — had  I  been  in  his  place — 
could  never  have  made.  If  I  were  to  tell  you  my  honest  opinion 
of  Ivan  and  his  loves,  I  should  be  obliged  to  say  that  this  Ivan- 
lover  which  loves  the  Tsaritsa  is  a  pigmy  compared  with  the 
giant-lover  Ivan  that  loves  thee  ! ' 

'  And  if  I  am  to  be  as  truthful  as  thou,'  said  Vera,  looking 
straight  into  my  eyes  with  her  own  superb,  fearless  orbs  ;  '  if  I 
am  to  be  as  truthful  as  thou,  my  soul,  I  must  say  I  think  thy 
words  are  right.  I  know  what  I  know.  And  therefore,  I  say,  let 
us  ride  on  and  delay  not  ! ' 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

THE    FIGHT    OX    THE    STAIRS. 


As  we  journeyed  on  day  after  day  towards  the  Kama  and  our 
home,  we  became  more  and  more  sanguine  that  we  were  after  all 
to  be  allowed  to  reach  our  destination  without  interference  ;  and 
we  were  already  safely  across  the  Viatka  river  and  a  day's  journey 
beyond  before  the  storm  broke  over  us.  As  a  matter  of  f<\'\  we 
had  travelled  very  fast  up  to  Ruchief,  so  fa>t  that  I  doubted 
whether  there  existed  another  maiden  in  all  Russia  who  could 
have  ridden  so  far  in  the  time  as  my  Vera  did ;  but  Vera  was  ever 

p  p  2 


554  A   BO  YAH   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

as  much  at  home  on  horseback  as  upon  her  own  feet,  and  had 
been  accustomed  to  gallop  over  field  and  forest  from  her  earliest 
infancy.  But  from  Euchief  onwards  we  had  ridden  somewhat 
more  easily,  and  thus  gave  our  enemies  the  opportunity  to  over- 
take us,  though  we  had  up  to  this  time  handsomely  outstripped 
our  pursuers. 

We  had  claimed  noch-liog,  or  a  night's  rest,  at  the  house  of 
a  boyar  at  about  a  day's  ride  from  the  Viatka  river  at  Oordjoom. 
This  boyar — Katkof  by  name — received  us  somewhat  unwillingly, 
and  I  had  more  than  a  mind  to  ride  on  and  find  a  less  churlish 
host  farther  afield,  but  that  Vera  was  tired  with  the  hot  sun  and 
the  dust  of  the  plains  we  had  crossed  during  the  day.  So  we 
stayed  on  and  made  the  best  of  accommodation  unwillingly 
bestowed  and  of  a  supper  of  black  bread  and  salted  soodak  from 
the  Viatka,  washed  down  with  the  kvass  of  the  country,  a  sickly 
drink  beloved  by  the  peasants,  but  seldom,  I  am  glad  to  say, 
placed  before  boyars. 

As  we  sat  at  supper  with  our  churl  of  a  host,  there  came  the 
sound  of  horses  ridden  swiftly,  and  a  cavalcade  consisting,  to  judge 
from  the  noise  of  the  hoofs,  of  a  large  number  of  mounted  men, 
approached  the  house.  The  night  was  hot  and  the  windows  open, 
so  that  it  was  easy  to  hear  and  distinguish  every  word  that  was 
said  outside. 

'  Stop  here  ! '  cried  a  voice  I  recognised  at  once.  '  I  will 
not  ride  another  yard.  Get  down,  Feodor,  and  claim  the 
noch-liog.' 

I  glanced  at  Vera.  She  was  pale  as  milk,  and  her  hand 
trembled  for  one  moment ;  she  had  recognised  the  speaker  as  I 
had — it  was  her  brother  Osip.  Then  came  a  great  hammering  at 
the  door,  and  the  voice  of  our  host  grumbling  and  cursing  in  the 
corridor  without. 

'  Tell  them  to  go  back  to  the  village,  or  to  go  to  the  devil,' 
said  he  to  the  serf  who  went  to  open  the  door.  '  "We  have  one 
party  here  already,  and  no  room  for  more  ;  I  cannot  give  the 
noch-liog  to  all  the  Tsar's  boyars  at  once.' 

I  dragged  Vera  swiftly  out  of  the  door  and  up  the  winding 
wooden  stair  to  the  upper  story.  At  the  top  of  the  stairs  I  took 
my  stand,  placing  my  princess  behind  me.  Vera  was  armed  with 
dagger  and  pistol ;  I  had  insisted  upon  her  carrying  both.  I  had 
sword  and  dagger,  but  no  pistol. 

Meanwhile  an  altercation  proceeded  downstairs.  I  heard  the 
serf  give  his  master's  message,  couched  in  politer  terms,  and  I 


A  BOYAR   OE  THE   TERRIBLE.  555 

heard  the  reply,  in  Feodor  Krilof's  voice,  inquiring  what  the 
party  consisted  of  that  had  already  claimed  the  night-shelter,  and 
the  serf's  again,  describing  us.  Then  Feodor  and  Osip  consulted 
in  tones  which  did  not  reach  me ;  and  presently  Osip  bade  the 
serf  fetch  his  master,  which  the  man  did. 

The  old  boyar,  alarmed  at  the  size  of  the  party,  was  all 
courtesy  and  graciousness.  He  would  gladly,  he  said,  accommo- 
date all,  but  he  was  a  poor  man,  though  a  boyarin,  and  his  house 
was  small,  and  two  persons  had  already  claimed  hospitality  this 
night. 

1  Then  first  show  us  these  persons,'  said  Osip,  '  and  if  they 
prove  to  be  those  we  seek,  we  will  relieve  you  both  of  their  com- 
pany and  of  our  own.' 

To  this  the  boyar  replied  with  alacrity  that  if  they  had 
authority  to  take  these  persons  by  force,  they  might  do  so  and 
welcome,  for  all  he  cared  ;  but  if  they  were  without  authority,  how 
could  he  commit  the  sin  of  breach  of  hospitality  ? 

'  As  to  that,'  said  Osip,  '  you  are  right ;  but  we  carry  the  Tsar's 
ookaz,  which  overrides  the  laws  of  the  nock-Hog.' 

1  The  Tsar's  ookaz  ! '  repeated  our  host ;  '  then  come  in,  in 
Heaven's  name  ;  my  house  is  yours  and  all  that  is  in  it ! ' 

'  Not  quite  all,  boyar  ! '  I  shouted  from  the  top  of  the  stairs. 
•  We  two  are  not  his  just  yet.  Come  up  and  fetch  us,  Osip,  if  you 
desire  us ! '  I  glanced  at  Vera ;  her  eyes  were  ablaze  and  her 
cheeks  flushed  ;  she  threw  her  arms  about  me  and  kissed  me  pas- 
sionately.    '  Yes,  yes  ! '  she  said,  '  let  them  come  ! ' 

There  was  a  long  silence  downstairs,  and  then  much  whisper- 
ing, in  which  our  host  took  his  share,  a  fact  which  I  remembered 
afterwards,  and  presently  Osip  Krilof  came  up  the  stairs  alone ; 
we  could  hear  his  steps  mounting  towards  us  before  he  came  in 
sight,  the  stairs  being  circular ;  at  last  he  appeared. 

He  took  no  notice  of  me,  but  spoke  to  my  princess. 

'  Vera,'  he  said,  '  come  down ;  it  is  the  ookaz  of  the  Tsar.' 

'  Here  is  my  Tsar,'  said  Vera,  'and  him  I  obey.' 

1  Would  you  then  disobey  our  Sovereign  ? '  continued  her 
brother ;  «  and  as  for  this  man,  he  is  no  Tsar,  but  a  traitor  boyar 
whom  I  have  authority  to  slay  like  a  dog.' 

I  laughed  aloud. 

'  Can  a  woman  then  disobey  her  husband  ? '  said  Vera ;  '  and 
as  for  this  man,  he  is  no  traitor,  but  a  better  man  than  you,  Osip, 
my  brother  ;  and  as  for  slaying  him,  why  you  have  tried  it  before, 
little  soul  ;  see  that  he  does  not  slay  you  instead  ! ' 


556  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

'Do  you  tell  me  that  you  have  married  a  Stroganof?'  said 
Osip,  trembling  with  rage.  '  Tell  me  you  have  not  yet  done  this, 
Vera ! ' 

'  I  have  both  done  it  and  rejoice  to  have  done  it,'  said  my 
beautiful  wife. 

Osip  reeled  and  leant  against  the  stair-rail,  but  he  spoke  with 
spirit,  though  cruelly. 

'  I  should  curse  thee,'  he  said,  '  but  that  it  matters  little ;  for 
when  we  have  cut  this  husband  of  thine  to  pieces  and  cast  him  to 
the  dogs,  thou  shalt  obey  the  Tsar,  sweet  widow-sister !  ' 

'  Osip,'  I  cried,  mad  with  rage,  '  for  that  speech  you  shall  die.' 

'  Perhaps,'  he  said  ;  '  I  care  not  whether  my  sister's  husband 
slay  one  or  two  or  all  of  her  brothers,  since  she  has  disgraced 
herself  by  marrying  the  murderer  of  one ! ' 

'  Osip,'  said  Vera,  '  thou  art  a  coward  and  a  liar,  though  my 
brother.  Is  it  murder  to  defend  oneself,  when  five  men  fall  upon 
one  man  ? ' 

•  He  is  guilty  of  thy  brother's  blood,'  replied  Osip,  somewhat 
confusedly ;  '  that  should  be  enough  for  a  dutiful  sister ! ' 

'  Come,  an  end  of  this  ! '  I  cried,  stamping  my  foot ;  '  go  down 
and  fetch  your  friends,  and  let  us  begin  this  comedy.  How  many 
swords  are  there  to  one  this  time  ? ' 

'  That  you  shall  see  soon  enough  ! '  said  Osip,  flushing  red,  and 
with  the  words  he  turned  and  went  down. 

'  Oh,  my  love,'  whispered  Vera,  '  it  is  hard  that  it  should  come 
to  this,  that  thou  must  shed  my  brothers'  blood,  or  they  thine  ! ' 
Poor  Vera's  eyes  were  full  of  tears. 

'  Be  comforted,  sweet  soul,'  I  said,  '  I  will  die  rather  than 
slay  a  second  of  your  brothers.  I  spoke  in  anger  ;  they  are 
safe.' 

'Nay,  if  it  come  to  that,'  said  Vera,  weeping,  'you  shall  not 
die,  my  Sasha ;  for  I  myself  will  slay  them  rather  than  they  thee  ! ' 
I  kissed  her  and  laughed,  and  said  that  perhaps,  by  the  mercy  of 
the  Highest,  we  might  yet  escape  without  the  blood-shedding  of 
either  husband  or  brothers ;  but  after  this  we  had  no  more  time 
for  speaking,  for  the  attack  began,  and  for  a  short  while  I  was 
somewhat  busy  and  found  little  leisure  for  speech. 

The  stairs  were  wide  enough  for  two  men  abreast,  but  scarcely 
wide  enough  for  both  to  fight  comfortably.  I  have  said  that  at 
this  time  I  was  a  mere  tyro  in  the  art  of  swordsmanship.  In  after 
years  I  achieved  great  reputation  as  a  swordsman,  and  became,  I 
may  say  it  without  vanity,  the  most  accomplished  fencer  in  the 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  557 

Tsar's  dominions,  thanks  to  the  instruction  which  I  received  in 
the  art  during  my  sojourn  in  England,  to  which  country  I  returned 
with  the  Englishman  Chancellor  and  again  with  Jenkinson,  both 
these  great  explorers  and  travellers  (good  and  brave  men,  both) 
being,  at  that  time,  intimate  friends  of  mine.  But  now,  at  the 
age  of  eighteen,  I  was  a  mere  hacker  with  the  sword,  like  all  my 
countrymen — only,  being  dowered  by  the  Almighty  with  muscles 
like  the  hoop-bands  of  a  cask,  and  with  the  chest  of  a  bull,  I  could 
hack  harder  than  most.  So  then,  this  hacking-match  began,  and 
began  well ;  for  first  of  all  came  Osip  Krilof  and  another,  and 
having  sliced  that  other  almost  in  two  halves,  I  seized  him  and 
hurled  his  body  full  at  Osip's  head,  and  both  Osip  and  he  tumbled 
out  of  sight  downstairs,  to  the  confusion  of  those  that  stood  below 
them.  Feodor  Krilof  next  appeared  and  hacked  bravely  at  me, 
for  Feodor,  like  the  rest,  had  plenty  of  spirit ;  but  I  easily  knocked 
the  sword  from  his  hand,  and  with  my  foot  suddenly  raised  to  his 
chest,  sent  him  flying  after  Osip. 

Then  came  a  mixed  host  of  young  boyars,  some  of  whom  I 
knew  by  sight,  and  serf-soldiers,  many  of  whom  I  killed  or 
wounded,  and  one  of  whom  just  grazed  my  arm  with  his  weapon. 
The  chances  of  the  battle  were  all  in  my  favour,  for  I  had  the 
advantage  of  position ;  and,  besides  this,  my  enemies  were  unable 
to  fight  conveniently,  for  each  man  hampered  his  neighbour,  and 
my  opponents  scolded  and  swore  at  one  another  as  they  fought, 
while  I  laughed  and  mocked  at  them. 

But  suddenly  the  battle  took  a  new  turn.  When  we  had 
fought  for  five  minutes,  I  was  startled  by  a  sudden  cry  from  Vera, 
and  at  the  same  moment,  looking  round,  I  just  swerved  in  time 
to  escape  a  lunge  from  one  of  two  men  who  had  somehow  come 
upon  us  from  the  rear.  This  was,  of  course,  by  the  treachery  of 
our  host,  who  had  shown  how  this  could  be  effected ;  and  the 
attack  from  behind  was  part  and  parcel  of  the  plan  of  operation. 
At  the  same  instant,  the  second  man  threw  himself  with  all  his 
weight  against  me  and  precipitated  me  head  first  down  the  stairs. 
Two  men,  against  whom  I  collided,  fell  with  me,  and  we  struggled 
furiously  together  on  the  wooden  steps,  those  behind  digging  at 
me  with  their  swords  and  wounding  sometimes  me  and  sometimes 
their  own  friends,  but  neither  seriously,  for  they  dared  not  strike 
hard  for  fear  of  slaying  their  own.  In  an  instant,  or  little  more, 
I  was  upon  my  feet  again  and  laying  about  me  right  lustily,  for 
my  sword-arm  was  as  yet  untouched,  and  as  I  rose  I  heard  Vera's 
pistol  explode,  and  a  man  came  tumbling  down  the  steps,  almost 


558  A  BO  YAH   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

knocking  me  off  my  feet.  I  rushed  upwards,  frantic  with  alarm 
for  Vera,  but  as  I  sped  some  one  threw  a  dagger  from  behind  which 
fixed  itself  in  the  flesh  of  my  sword-arm,  and  when  I  instinctively 
tried  to  raise  my  left  arm  to  draw  it  forth,  I  found  that  I  could 
not  move  that  limb,  which  had  been  wounded  during  my  struggle 
on  the  ground.  But,  to  my  joy,  Vera  was  safe  and  unhurt.  The 
second  of  the  two  men  who  had  attacked  me  from  the  rear  lay 
writhing  in  his  death-agony,  pierced  by  her  dagger.  Vera  was 
panting  and  pale,  but  smiled  and  said : 

'They  tried  to  drag  me  away  behind  there,  but — Holy 
Mother  of  the  Mo&t  Blessed,  my  Sasha,  what  ails  you  ?  You  are 
pale ! ' 

'  It  is  nothing ! '  I  said ;  and  then,  Vera  tells  me,  I  fainted. 

For  the  rest  of  the  story  of  this  battle  I  am  indebted  to  Vera's 
account,  which  I  have  at  different  times  and  with  great  difficulty 
■ — by  reason  of  her  modesty — extracted  from  her. 

After  I  fainted  and  fell  against  the  stair-rail — and  before  those 
of  my  foes  who  still  remained  capable  of  the  exertion  could  get  at 
me  to  despatch  me — Vera  picked  up  my  sword,  and  stood  between 
me  and  them  and  dared  them,  the  dagger  in  one  hand  and  the 
sword  in  the  other.  The  men  laughed,  and  bade  her  get  out  of 
the  way  lest  hurt  befell  her. 

'  And  what  will  the  Tsar  say  then  ?  '  said  Vera,  whereupon  the 
fellows  laughed  no  more. 

Then  Vera  wound  her  arms  about  me  and  dragged  me  down- 
stairs, placing  her  body  ever  between  mine  and  the  swords  of  those 
who  looked  threateningly,  saying  that  as  heaven  was  above  her, 
if  any  blow  were  aimed,  it  should  strike  herself  and  not  me ;  and 
these  men,  knowing  well  that  the  Tsar's  most  terrible  wrath  would 
assail  all  if  evil  should  befall  this  princess,  dared  not  strike. 

And  so  Vera  conveyed  me — half  carrying  and  half  dragging — 
down  the  stairs,  past  five  dead  bodies  and  several  wounded  ones, 
and  past  her  own  brothers  Osip  and  Feodor,  both  wounded  and 
sitting  groaning  on  the  steps,  into  the  open  air,  and  across  the 
road  into  the  forest,  where  she  laid  me  down  and  bathed  my 
temples  with  water  from  a  moss  pool.  Here  I  soon  revived,  and 
was  able  to  count  and  see  to  my  wounds,  of  which  there  were  no 
less  than  nine,  though  none  very  serious.  Vera  washed  them  one 
and  all,  and  bound  them  with  pieces  of  her  own  and  my  garments, 
and  within  half  an  hour  I  was  able,  though  stiff  and  in  much  pain, 
to  crawl  with  my  beloved  deeper  into  the  heart  of  the  forest,  so 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  559 

that  we  might  feel  secure,  at  least  for  the  present,  from  our  cruel 
persecutors.  There  were  not  more  than  three  or  four,  Vera  said, 
capable  of  sallying  forth  to  look  for  us.  and  these  were  probablv 
too  busy  looking  after  the  wounds  of  their  own  people  to  have 
much  time  to  spare  for  us.  They  had  watched  us  into  the  wood, 
however,  said  Vera,  and  doubtless  relied  upon  my  wounded  con- 
dition to  easily  find  us  whenever  they  should  think  fit  to  start  in 
search. 

This,  we  both  thought,  would  be  to-morrow  morning  at  latest. 


(To  be  continued.) 


560 


Mr.  Morris's  Poems. 


'  T7X0UG-H,'  said  the  pupil  of  the  wise  Imlac,  'you  have  con- 
Jj  vinced  me  that  no  man  can  be  a  poet.'  The  study  of  Mr. 
William  Morris's  poems,  in  the  new  collected  edition,1  has  con- 
vinced me  that  no  man,  or,  at  least,  no  middle-aged  man, 
can  be  a  critic.  I  read  Mr.  Morris's  poems  (thanks  to  the  knightly 
honours  conferred  on  the  Bard  of  Penrhyn,  there  is  now  no  am- 
biguity as  to  •  Mr.  Morris  "),  but  it  is  not  the  book  only  that  I 
read.  The  scroll  of  my  youth  is  unfolded.  I  see  the  dear  place 
where  first  I  perused  The  Blue  Closet ;  the  old  faces  of  old  friends 
flock  around  me  ;  old  chaff,  old  laughter,  old  happiness  re-echo 
and  revive.  St.  Andrews,  Oxford,  come  before  the  mind's  eye, 
with 

Many  a  place 

That's  in  sad  case 
Where  joy  was  wont  afore,  oh  ! 

as  Minstrel  Burne  sings.  These  voices,  faces,  landscapes  mirigle 
with  the  music  and  blur  the  pictures  of  the  poet  who  enchanted 
for  us  certain  hours  passed  in  the  paradise  of  youth.  A  reviewer 
who  finds  himself  in  this  case  may  as  well  frankly  confess  that  he 
can  no  more  criticise  Mr.  Morris  dispassionately  than  he  could 
criticise  his  old  self  and  the  friends  whom  he  shall  never  see  again, 
till  he  meets  them 

Beyond  the  sphere  of  time, 

And  sin,  and  grief's  control, 
Serene  in  changeless  prime 

Of  body  and  of  soul. 

To  write  of  one's  own  '  adventures  among  books '  may  be  to  pro- 
vide anecdotage  more  or  less  trivial,  more  or  less  futile,  but.  at 

1  Longmans. 


Longman's  Magazine, 


November  1896. 


A  Boyar  of  the  Terrible. 

,1    ROMANGE   OF  THE   COURT  OF  IVAN  HIE  CRUEL, 
FIRST  TSAR    OF  RUSSIA. 


By  Fred.  "Whishaw, 
Author  of  '  Out  of  Doors  in  Tsarland,'  etc. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

YERMAK. 

~p<  >RiTXE  favoured  Us  on  this  weary  and  painful  night.  Deter- 
_L  mined  to  reach  what  we  calculated  would  be  a  safe  distance 
from  our  pursuers,  we  wandered  together  through  the  dark  pines, 
Vera  supporting  me — for  I  was  weak  with  loss  of  blood  and  in 
much  pain— and  by  the  merest  accident  (if  indeed  there  be  such 
a  thing  as  accident  in  this  God-ruled  world  !),  by  the  merest  acci- 
dent we  came  upon  the  tiny  hut  of  a  woodcutter,  frightening  the 
proprietor  almost  to  death  by  suddenly  breaking  in  upon  his  rest, 
and  here  we  passed  the  remainder  of  the  night  in  comparative 
comfort  and  at  least  under  shelter. 

In  the  morning,  feeling  unfit  to  undertake  a  journey  in  my 
present  stiff  and  feeble  condition,  I  determined  to  stay  where  1 
was  and  hope  for  the  best— the  best  being  that  our  enemies  would 
not  find  us  here,  for  I  was  not  up  to  much  fighting,  or,  indeed, 
exertion  of  any  kind. 

VOL.  XXIX.  no.  clxix.  b 


2  A  BO  YAH   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

Then  we  posted  our  woodman,  who  proved  to  be  an  excellent 
and  intelligent  ally.  (Michael  was  his  name.  May  the  Lord 
bestow  upon  him  a  heavenly  Kingdom  !)  We  posted  this  Michael 
high  up  in  the  branches  of  a  tall  pine-tree,  with  instructions  to 
loudly  sing  a  verse  of  the  song  known  as  the  '  Kamarinsky  Moujik  ' 
in  case  he  should  see  a  search-party  approach.  His  position  up 
in  the  tree  would  cause  no  suspicion,  since  he  could  justify  it  by 
pretending  to  be  busy  hewing  off  the  branches  preparatory  to 
feliing  the  tree  itself. 

Michael  suggested  that  in  case  of  danger  we  should  conceal 
ourselves  in  his  lyednik,  or  ice-cellar — a  convenience  which  even 
the  peasant  in  his  hut  contrives  to  provide  himself  withal  in  this 
land  of  much  ice  and  hot  summers.  In  order  to  be  ready  for 
emergency  we  inspected  this  ice-cellar,  which  good  Michael  used 
as  a  store  place  for  his  milk  and  provisions.  It  consisted  of  a  pit 
dug  in  the  earth  and  filled  with  blocks  of  ice.  A  foot  or  two 
above  the  surface  of  the  ice,  and  level  with  that  of  the  outer  earth, 
was  a  wooden  floor  having  a  trapdoor  by  which  to  gain  access  to 
the  ice  beneath  ;  and  covering  the  pit  and  its  deck  or  floor  of 
wood  was  a  conical  roof. 

If  our  enemies  should  come  upon  our  hiding-place,  I  not  being 
in  fighting  condition,  we  would,  we  agreed,  take  refuge  upon  the 
ice  beneath  the  flooring — a  nice  cool  place  in  this  hot  weather,  as 
Vera  remarked,  though  somewhat  cramped  in  area. 

It  was  well  that  we  had  devised  this  retreat,  and  still  better 
that  trusty  Michael  was  all  alert  and  awake  in  his  lofty  perch 
among  the  branches  ;  for  about  midday,  as  we  were  discussing  a 
plain  but  welcome  repast  of  black  bread,  with  milk  from  the  wood- 
man's lean  cow,  Michael  suddenly  burst  into  song,  and  the  familiar 
strains  of  the  '  Kamarinsky  Moujik '  warned  us  that  there  was 
good  and  particular  reason  for  his  vocal  exertions. 

Quickly  Vera  and  I  crept  to  the  lyednik,  which  lay  some  thirty 
yards  from  the  hut,  and  she  assisted  me  to  squeeze  my  stiff  body 
through  the  trapdoor,  she  following  immediately  ;  then — leaving 
the  trapdoor  open — we  lay  on  the  ice  slabs  and  listened. 

First  we  heard  a  conversation  between  Michael  and  the  stranger 
or  strangers — there  were  two  of  them,  we  found — and  Michael 
proved  to  us  that  he  was  no  exception  to  the  rule  of  his  tribe,  the 
Moujiks  of  Kussia,  who  are,  I  admit  it  (though  myself  their  coun- 
tryman), the  glibbest  and  the  most  facile  liars  that  the  sun  shines 
upon.  He  had  not  seen,  he  said,  any  boyar,  male  or  female, 
wounded  or  unwounded  ;  boyars  never  came  his  way,  and  he  should 
probably  run  away  if  ever  one  were  to  appear. 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  3 

Nevertheless  the  two  men  approached  the  hut,  in  order  to 
receive  personal  confirmation  of  Michael's  statement,  and  we 
gathered  from  their  conversation  as  they  drew  near  that  the  nerves 
of  both  were  somewhat  shaken  by  the  events  of  the  previous  night. 

'  Ha  ! '  one  said,  '  a  hut  and  an  ice-cellar ;  take  the  cellar,  Piotr, 
while  I  inspect  the  hut.' 

1  What  if  be  suddenly  pounces  out  upon  us  ?  '  said  the  other. 

4  Tut,  man,  don't  be  a  coward  ;  he  won't  be  here.  If  I  thought 
he  was,  I  wouldn't  do  what  I  am  going  to  do — stick  my  head  in  at 
the  door.' 

1  What  would  you  do,  then  ?  '  asked  the  other. 

'  On  my  soul,  I  don't  know  ! '  said  the  first,  '  go  home,  I  think, 
and  say  nothing  about  it ;  my  heart  is  like  wax  after  last  night ! ' 

1  Shall  we  inspect  together  for  safety  ?  ' 

'  No,  no,  nonsense— they  are  not  here,  or  that  peasant  would 
be  standing  lying  at  the  door,  or  asking  us  secretly  for  blood- 
money.     Go  and  put  your  nose  into  the  cellar ;  it  is  a  mere  form.' 

So  Piotr  came  to  our  sanctuary  and  looked  in.  Then  he 
bravely  lay  down  and  put  his  face  over  the  aperture,  trying  to 
peer  into  the  darkness  below.     This  was  our  opportunitv. 

'  Take  his  hair  and  pull,  Vera,'  I  said  aloud,  at  the  same  time 
employing  my  more  capable  arm  and  hand  to  grip  the  fellow  by 
the  coat  and  pull  him  towards  us.  Vera  obeyed  instantly,  and 
together  we  drew  the  fellow  down  to  our  icy  refuge.  He  gave  a 
fearful  shriek  of  terror,  and  I  heard  his  companion  take  to  his 
heels  and  run  ;  and  then,  almost  immediately,  there  followed  the 
noise  of  a  scuffle  and  of  a  fall.  Meanwhile  Vera,  with  my  help — 
the  fellow  making  no  resistance — tied  our  prisoner's  hands  and  feet 
with  the  waist-sash  of  my  kaftan,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  we  had 
him  safe  and  sound. 

Then,  leaving  him  to  cool  himself  upon  the  ice,  we  came 
up  into  the  air  ;  and  here  the  first  thing  we  saw  was  friend 
Michael  standing  over  the  prostrate  form  of  the  second  of  our 
opponents. 

1  Is  he  dead,  Michael  ?  '  I  asked. 

1  He  is  dead,  mercifulness,'  said  the  man,  proudly  ;  'with  my 
axe  I  slew  him.  He  should  have  gone  free,  but  that  he  slashed 
at  me  with  his  sword  and  called  me  liar ;  for  this  he  died.' 

It  was  just  as  well  for  us,  however,  that  the  world  was  poorer 
by  this  rogue ;  for  if  he  had  escaped,  his  tongue  would  have 
wagged,  and  perhaps  we  should  have  suffered  for  it.  Now  we  were 
safe  for  the  present,  and  might  rest  here  in  peace  and  securitv  till 

c  2 


4  A   BOYAR    OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

to-morrow.      By  that  time,    possibly,   I   might   feel   capable   of 
continuing  the  retreat. 

And  in  truth,  when  the  morrow  came,  I  did  feel  greatly  re- 
freshed and  invigorated,  and  determined  to  lose  no  more  time,  but 
make  an  effort  to  push  onwards  towards  home. 

Our  faithful  Michael  was  therefore* sent  back  to  the  house  of 
the  old  boyar,  at  which  we  had  lodged  and  fought,  and  where  we 
had  left  our  horses,  with  instructions  to  make  careful  investigations 
as  to  the  strength  of  the  party  still  remaining  effective  against  us. 
If  all  had  disappeared,  he  was  to  demand  of  the  boyar  our  horses, 
and,  if  he  pleased,  use  force  or  strategy  to  obtain  them. 

A  few  hours  later,  Michael  returned  with  the  horses,  having 
found  none  but  the  boyar  himself  and  a  few  wounded  persons  at 
home  ;  the  rest  were,  he  was  informed,  absent  in  the  forest,  look- 
ing for  certain  misdemeanants  for  whose  capture  a  reward  was 
offered.     Had  he  seen  them  ? 

'  Oh,  no,'  the  woodman  had  replied,  '  certainly  not ;  not  a 
trace  of  the  miscreants.' 

'  Well,'  the  old  boyar  had  said,  if  he  should  come  across 
them,  he  might  bang  the  male  offender  on  the  head  with  his  axe, 
and  bring  the  female  back  to  the  mansion,  when  he  would  receive 
a  handsome  sum  for  his  pains,  as  well  as  the  gratitude  of  the  Tsar 
and  of  the  boyar  himself,  whose  house  they  had  filled  with  blood. 

Then  that  wily  woodman  announced  that  he  had  prepared  a 
supply  of  cut  faggots  which  the  boyar  might  have  at  a  cheap  price 
if  he  liked.  The  old  miser  mentioned  a  price  for  the  wood,  to 
which  Michael  demurred,  but  eventually  a  bargain  was  effected, 
and  then  Michael  played  his  trump  card. 

'  Your  mercifulness,'  he  said,  '  will  lend  me  two  horses  and  a 
cart  to  bring  in  the  stuff?  The  stables  are  too  full  already,  I  see  ; 
and  some  of  the  horses  of  your  mercifulness  are  tethered  in  the 
open  yard.'     These  were  ours  and  those  of  the  Krilof  party. 

'  But  you  are  unknown  to  me,'  said  the  boyar,  '  and  how  can  I 
tell  that  you  will  not  make  off  with  my  horses,  which  are  worth 
more  than  your  wood  ?  ' 

'  Your  mercifulness  ! '  said  Michael,  reproachfully,  '  do  I  look 
like  a  brigand  ?  ' 

'  You  look  like  a  fool,'  said  the  boyar,  '  but  that  means  nothing  ! ' 

'  Better  that  than  a  brigand  ! '  said  Michael ;  '  which  horses 
may  I  use,  then,  mercifulness?  and  where  is  the  cart?'  Then 
the  boyar  evolved  a  good  idea. 

take  the  horses  of  the  delinquents- — they 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  5 

are  there  in  the  yard — that  brown  one,  and  the  yellow  beside  it — ■ 
nice  horses,  too.  See  that  you  bring  them  back  in  good  order ; 
you  may  take  any  cart  you  please.' 

The  old  boyar  chuckled  over  his  own  ingenuity  in  thus  saving 
himself  the  risk  of  lending  his  own  animals  ;  and  our  woodman, 
with  the  fool's  face  and  the  fox's  brain  (a  most  common  combina- 
tion among  our  Russian  serf  people),  left  the  yard  with  our  horses 
and  with  an  excellent  cart  for  our  use.  I  made  a  mental  note  of 
the  boyar's  kind  dispositions  with  regard  to  myself,  for  future 
reference,  and  praised  Michael  for  his  service. 

'  If  we  escape,  Michael,'  I  said,  'you  shall  have  our  horses  and 
the  boyar's  cart  also  for  your  own,  and  a  rouble  in  money  besides  ! ' 
a  promise  which  sent  good  Michael  on  his  knees  before  his  Ucon, 
in  most  devout  thanksgiving ;  after  which  we  started  once  more 
upon  our  journey,  heading  for  Glazovo,  a  place  on  the  river  Chepsa, 
which  is  a  branch  of  the  Viatka,  and  using  the  boyar's  cart,  which 
we  nearly  filled  with  moss,  in  order  that  the  jolting  might  spare 
as  far  as  possible  my  wounded  limbs.  Michael  acted  as  driver, 
and  we  took  with  us  the  prisoner  whom  we  had  deposited  upon 
the  ice  in  the  woodman's  cellar.  Michael  was  all  for  striking  off 
the  fellow's  head,  but  I  would  not  agree  to  unnecessary  bloodshed 
— an  indulgence  on  my  part  which  gained  for  me  the  profession 
of  the  prisoner's  gratitude,  and  his  promise  to  tell  no  tales  if.  in 
returning,  he  happened  to  encounter  those  of  his  late  associates 
who  were  still  engaged  in  looking  for  us. 

This  man  proved  the  sincerity  of  his  professions,  afterwards, 
in  a  remarkable  manner.  "We  set  him  at  liberty  ten  miles  farther 
on,  when,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  he  renewed  his  vows  and  promises. 
But,  as  fortune  would  have  it,  he  must  have  shortly  after  happened 
upon  the  search-party  still  abroad  after  us ;  for,  before  we  had 
travelled  many  miles  farther,  we  observed  two  or  three  horsemen 
following  us,  and  behold !  our  grateful  friend  was  with  them, 
evidently  acting  as  their  guide,  and  seated  in  front  of  one  of  the 
party  on  horseback. 

Apparently  these  good  people  had  formed  their  own  opinion — 
and  that  a  flattering  one — as  to  my  prowess  in  fight,  for  though 
they  must  have  known  that  I  was  wounded  and  stiff,  and  not  in 
my  best  fighting  condition,  yet  they  did  not  venture  to  approach, 
but  followed  at  a  respectful  distance,  evidently  determined  to 
make  no  attack  in  daylight  and  in  the  open,  but  to  watch  their 
opportunity  and  to  dog  us  until  it  should  arise. 

"When  we  stopped  and  encamped  for  the  night,  they  did  the 


6  A   BO  YAH   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

same ;  so  that  it  became  necessary  to  set  a  watch  and  take  our 
sleeping  in  turns,  Vera  insisting  upon  taking  her  watch  with  the 
rest.  I  felt  by  this  time  as  though  I  could  fight  a  little,  at  a 
pinch  ;  and  if  only  these  good  fellows  would  kindly  follow  us,  as  I 
told  my  princess,  for  a  few  days  longer,  I  should  be  in  a  position 
to  turn  the  pursuit  in  the  opposite  direction  ;  unless,  indeed,  they 
would  oblige  me  with  a  set-to,  of  which  I  cherished  little  hope. 

I  suppose  our  pursuers  made  sure  that  if  they  only  kept  us  in 
view  they  were  sure  of  their  prey  eventually,  and  desired  to  run 
no  risk;  hence  we  were  not  attacked  during  the  night,  nor  yet 
during  the  whole  of  the  following  day,  which  we  spent  in  jogging 
along  as  best  we  might  over  country  roads  and  tracks  towards  the 
Chepsa,  they  following  as  before.  How  long  this  foolish  pursuit 
might  have  lasted  before  I  should  have  felt  myself  strong  enough 
to  end  it,  I  cannot  tell ;  for  the  end  came  unexpectedly,  and  in  a 
manner  which  was  as  agreeable  to  myself  as  it  must  have  been 
disagreeable  to  our  pursuers. 

We  were  nearing  the  Chepsa,  and  were  but  a  few  miles  from 
the  little  town  of  Grlazovo,  when  from  out  the  heart  of  a  dense 
birch-patch  there  suddenly  sprang  two  or  three  wild-looking  forms, 
who  seized  our  reins  and  stopped  the  horses  and  were  about  to  lay 
hands  upon  Michael  and  myself,  when  I  caught  sight  of  a  face  I 
knew  among  them,  one  of  Yermak's  men,  and  called  to  the  fellow 
by  name.  At  the  sound  of  my  voice.  Yermak  himself  came  out 
of  the  bushes. 

'  What,  the  young  Boyar  Stroganof,  my  sworn  friend  ! '  said 
he.  '  Away,  men,  let  go  of  the  reins,  Yashka  !  Now,  what  do 
you  here,  my  son  ?  What  is  the  matter  ? — you  are  bound  and 
plastered  all  over,  and  the  sweet  maiden  of  the  Krilofs  still  with 
you,  I  perceive — then  the  Tsar  has  made  a  bad  choice  ! ' 

I  hastily  told  Yermak  the  latter  part  of  our  adventures,  and 
how  the  Tsar  had  first  despatched  me  and  then  sent  to  overtake 
me,  and  of  my  great  fight  on  the  stairs  and  of  this  foolish  pursuit 
now  in  progress. 

1  What ! '  said  Yermak,  '  yonder  horsemen  that  rode  behind 
you  ?  I  took  them  for  a  portion  of  your  own  party.  After  them, 
men ! ' 

And  in  this  place  it  may  be  mentioned  that  half  an  hour  or  so 
later  Yermak's  men  returned  with  three  horses,  but  no  prisoners, 
from  which  fact  I  deduced  the  worst  fears  for  the  fate  of  my  late 
enemies ;  but  for  the  sake  of  sparing  Yera's  feelings  I  asked  no 
questions. 


A   BO  YAK   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 


7 


When  we  were  safely  quartered  upon  Yermak's  galley — and 
familiar  quarters  were  these  to  both  Vera  and  myself — I  gave 
Yermak  a  fuller  description  of  all  that  had  happened  in  con- 
sequence of  the  Tsar's  choice  of  a  bride,  aud  of  our  escape  and 
marriage,  at  all  of  which  the  chief  looked  grave. 

'  You  cannot  go  to  Perm,'  he  said  ;  '  for  the  angry  Tsar  would 
hunt  you  down  if  he  heard  of  your  arrival  there.  You  cannot  go 
to  Molebsk,  for  the  Krilofs  outdo  the  Tsar  in  their  enmity  towards 
you ;  he  is  at  times  friendly,  as  I  understand  it — but  they  never. 
Where  did  you  intend  to  go  to  ?  ' 

'  To  Perm,'  I  said,  ;  which  is  my  home.' 

'  It  is  impossible,'  said  Yermak  ;  '  you  must  disappear,  it  is 
your  only  safety  ;  I  know  of  only  one  man  in  Russia  who  can  both 
protect  and  conceal  you.' 

'  I  can  protect  myself,'  said  I,  interrupting  him  hotly ;  '  let  the 
Tsar  send  another  party  to  take  or  slay  me.  Where  is  the  last 
one  ? ' 

1  Cut  to  pieces,  I  know,'  said  Yermak.  '  You  can  protect 
yourself  against  the  swords  of  the  enemy  as  well  as  most,  granted  ; 
but  what  of  treachery  ?  ' 

'  It  is  true,  Sasha,'  paid  Vera;  '  Perm  would  be  dangerous  to 
us.  and  Molebsk  impossible.'  I  flushed  angrily,  for  all  this  was 
true  but  humiliating. 

'  And  who  is  the  only  personage  able  to  protect  those  who  are 
unable  to  protect  themselves  ?  '  I  asked,  somewhat  haughtily. 

'  Yermak  ! '  said  that  individual. 


idlAPTER    XXIII. 

SIBERIAN    PROJECTS. 

THIS  moment  was,  though  I  was  not  aware  of  it  at  the  time,  an 
exceedingly  important  crisis  in  my  life. 

1  What  thou,  Yermak.?  '  I  cried,  laughing  scornfully  ;  '  a  Yer- 
mak protect  a  Stroganof?     It  is  th^  wolf  patronising  the  tiger.' 

Yermak  flushed  a  little.  '  If  it  were  not  thou,  but  anothe.- 
Stroganof,'  he  said,  'that  spoke  thus  to  Yermak — but  this  is 
foolishness,  for  thou  it  is  and  none  other,  the  saviour  of  my  child  ; 
we  will  not  quarrel  for  foolish  words.  Xow  listen  :  for  a  while,  at 
least,  thou  must  stay  with  me,  my  son,  for  there  is  no  other  place 
for  thee  :  the  Tsar  is  the  Tsar.' 


S  A  BO  YAH   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

1  Yes,'  I  said,  '  the  Tsar  is  the  Tsar,  and  a  man  is  a  man  j  as 
for  me,  I  fear  neither  Tsar  nor  devil.' 

'  That  may  be,'  said  Yermak ;  '  and  none  here  doubts  it ;  but 
the  Tsar's  sword  is  longer  than  thine,  Stroganof.' 

'  Yermak  is  right,  my  soul,'  said  Vera ;  '  we  will  bide  where  we 
are  for  a  while,  and  thou  shalt  recover  thy  full  strength  before  we 
brave  the  Tsar  and  his  servants  again ! ' 

And  bide  we  did  with  Yermak  and  his  men,  and  right  merry 
and  happy  we  were ;  sailing  or  lazily  floating  day  long  and  week 
long  by  river  and  lake ;  and  hunting  to  our  hearts'  content  on 
shore,  when  the  desire  possessed  us  to  leave  the  galley  for  the 
dark  green  of  the  forest,  or  the  pink  heather  and  purple  bilberry 
of  the  moors.  It  was  a  gay  and  delightful  life,  for  was  not  my 
princess  ever  at  my  side,  and  the  blue  sky  above  my  head,  and 
the  free  air  of  the  open  country  in  my  lungs  ?  The  circumstances 
were  each  and  all  the  most  favourable  possible  to  my  natural  dis- 
position— no  wonder  that  I  enjoyed  life,  in  spite  of  the  wrath  of 
Tsars  and  the  furiousness  of  Krilofs  and  other  enemies  ! 

As  for  Yermak,  I  became  greatly  attached  to  this  wonderful 
man,  and  remained  with  him  at  his  urgent  entreaty  until  the 
following  spring ;  wintering  among  his  people  on  the  shores  of  the 
Volga  not  far  from  its  inflow  into  the  Caspian  Sea.  We  had  many 
conversations  as  to  my  future  plans,  and  made  many  projects  of 
pioneering  and  adventure  in  various  parts  of  the  world.  But 
Yermak's  favourite  project  of  all  was  a  proposed  expedition  into 
the  unknown  country  beyond  the  Urals.  There  was  wealth  beyond 
there,  said  Yermak,  in  minerals  and  rich  soil,  for  any  who  chose 
to  take  it,  sufficient  to  enrich  a  thousand  Tsars,  and  land  enough 
to  provide  an  empire  for  each.  Why  should  not  we — he  and  I — 
cross  the  mountains  and  set  the  Russian  flag  waving  on  the  banks 
of  the  great  Siberian  river  ?  That  would  surely  placate  the  wrath 
of  my  offended  sovereign,  for  we  should  bring  and  lay  at  his  feet 
a  new  crown. 

1  Yermak,'  I  cried,  when  first  he  broached  in  my  hearing  these 
imperial  dreams  of  his,  '  have  you  been  studying  the  Stroganof 
prophecy  ? ' 

'  Nay,'  said  he,  c  I  knew  not  that  there  existed  such  a  pro- 
phecy ! ' 

Whereupon  I  quoted  to  Yermak  the  words  which  have  been 
quoted  before,  about  the  Stroganofs  presenting  '  the  East '  to  the 
Tsar,  and  his  joy  thereat. 

Yermak  was  deeply  impressed  with  what   I  told  him.     He 


A  BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  9 

pondered  for  many  moments,  and  afterwards  took  me  aside  to  speak 
seriously  to  me. 

1  Sasha,'  he  said,  '  it  may  be  that  there  is  a  great  destiny  before 
us  ;  if  there  really  exist  this  prophecy,  then ' 

'As  to  that,'  I  interrupted,  laughing,  'go  to  Perm,  and  ask 
any  one  you  please  ;  every  one  knows  it  there  ! ' 

'  Then,'  continued  Yermak,  very  serious  and  almost  solemn, 
'then,  Sasha,  I  firmly  believe  that  it  is  thou  and  I,  and  none 
others,  who  are  destined  to  fulfil  this  prediction.  It  is  a  splendid 
destiny  !  ' 

1  Certainly  it  is,'  said  I,  still  laughing,  though  somewhat  im- 
pressed by  Yermak's  words  and  evident  conviction ;  '  but  one 
cannot  conquer  a  continent  with  a  couple  of  galleys  full  of 
brigands ! ' 

'  When  there  is  work  to  do,  God  gives  hands  to  do  it ! '  said 
Yermak.  Was  Yermak  also  among  the  prophets  ?  It  would 
appear  so. 

"When  spring  came  and  the  rivers  had  rid  themselves  of  their 
icy  encumbrance,  we  shaped  our  course  by  streams  and  lakes  for 
Perm ;  and  right  glad  was  I  to  behold  my  beloved  Kama  once 
more.  No  less  delighted  was  Vera  herself.  We  stood  hand  in  hand 
upon  the  deck  of  our  galley,  as  we  sped  slowly  on  towards  our  old 
home.  We  passed  the  spot  where  Yermak  had  first  caught  us, 
and  where  I  had  nearly  but  not  quite  succeeded  in  effecting  her 
escape  and  mine  one  dark  night,  as  has  already  been  described  ; 
and  we  passed  also  the  spot  where,  but  three  years  or  four  years 
since,  my  wilful  princess  had  ridden  down  to  the  shore  and 
plunged  her  horse  into  the  swollen  Kama,  rather  than  submit  to 
be  tamely  captured  by  her  boy-lover  ;  and  we  laughed  together 
over  her  escapade,  and  I  told  my  princess  that  her  laughter  was 
foolish,  because  assuredly  if  she  found  herself  in  a  like  position, 
to  this  very  day,  she  would  do  the  same  thing. 

And  Vera  laughed  the  more,  and  said  that  she  believed  she 
would  also. 

Our  object  in  coming  to  Perm  was  to  see  my  uncle,  in  order 
to  obtain  his  sanction,  authority,  and  assistance  in  our  projected 
enterprise  beyond  the  Urals.  We  had  ourselves  conveyed  in  our 
galley  up  to  the  very  town  of  Perm,  to  the  great  alarm  and  con- 
sternation of  the  peaceful  inhabitants,  who  cherished  a  wholesome 
fear  and  regard  for  the  renowned  Yermak,  whose  name  was  a 
terror  throughout  this  portion  of  the  realm,  where — though  never 
cruel  to  his  fellow-creatures,  stern  and  unbending  as  he  was  to  all 


io  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

who  resisted  or  offended  him — he  was  well  known  to  entertain 
views  as  to  personal  property  which  did  not  tally  with  those  of 
the  weaker  proprietors.  But  when  it  was  seen  that  I  was  with 
Yermak,  and  that  my  beautiful  princess  was  also  with  us,  the 
alarm  gave  way  to  curiosity ;  and  I  observed  that  the  people  had 
much  to  say  to  one  another  about  us,  as  we  passed,  and  that  they 
whispered  and  wagged  their  heads  knowingly,  and  occasionally 
crossed  themselves,  from  all  of  which  I  inferred  that  a  portion,  at 
all  events,  of  our  story  was  known,  and  that  these  good  folks, 
seeing  me  with  the  brigand  Yermak,  concluded  that  I  was  in 
appropriate  company. 

But  my  poor  uncle  and  my  brothers  nearly  expired  with  terror 
when  they  beheld  me. 

'  For  the  love  of  Grod,  Sasha,'  said  my  uncle,  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  '  go  back  whence  you  came,  and  hide  yourself  where  you 
have  been  up  to  this  time  concealed,  and  for  the  love  of  God  also 
tell  me  not  where  that  place  is.  Do  you  not  know  that  you  are 
outlawed  and  accursed,  and  that  there  is  a  price  upon  your  head  ?  ' 

I  laughed,  and  said  that  I  was  not  aware  of  this  interesting 
fact, 

'  "What  have  I  done,'  I  asked,  '  that  I  am  outlawed  ?  ' 

'  You  have  offended  the  Tsar,'  said  my  uncle,  '  though  in  what 
particular  manner  only  rumour  has  described  ;  but  the  Tsar  is 
offended,  and  would  rather  have  you  dead  than  living,  and  the 
Tsar's  sword  is  long  and  sharp.  Therefore,  for  pity's  sake,  Sasha 
—  son  of  my  dead  brother  though  you  be,  and  the  best,  as  I 
believe,  of  all  the  Stroganofs — go  hence,  for  your  own  sake  and 
also  for  ours,  for  the  Tsar's  wrath  will  assuredly  consume  us  also 
if  we  harbour  and  protect  you  !  ' 

'  Be  comforted,  uncle,'  I  said,  c  I  shall  not  stay ;  but  bless  me 
first,  and  this  princess,  my  wife,  and  then  I  will  tell  thee  what  I 
have  in  my  mind.' 

So  my  uncle  blessed  and  embraced  Vera  and  me,  and  in  his 
own  courtly  way  he  told  her  that,  though  he  was  a  Stroganof.  and 
she  a  Krilof,  her  loveliness  outweighed  the  enmity  of  generations, 
and  he  welcomed  so  beautiful  a  creature  into  the  family  as  an 
acquisition.  '  For  God's  sake,  Sasha,'  he  ended,  '  keep  her  safely 
from  the  eyes  of  the  Tsar,  and  risk  nothing  for  thyself,  so  that 
thou  remain  alive  to  protect  her  ! ' 

'  As  to  that,  uncle,'  said  I,  '  fear  nothing  for  me,  and  if  I  am 
not  by  to  protect  her,  Vera  can  protect  herself  as  well  as  most  ! ' 

From  all  of  which  I  gathered  that  my  uncle  had  heard  rumours, 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  n 

more  or  less  founded  upon  fact,  as  to  the  relations  between  the 
Tsar  and  my  princess.  But  when  I  informed  him  that  the  Tsar 
had  actually  bidden  me  marry  Vera,  warning  me  at  the  same  time 
to  ride  away  as  fast  as  our  horses  could  carry  us,  he  was  surprised 
indeed,  which  was  only  natural,  seeing  that  he  did  not  know  the 
complex  circumstances  of  the  case  and  the  bewildering  double 
nature  of  the  Tsar. 

Afterwards  I  told  my  uncle  of  Yermak's  project  for  enterprise 
beyond  the  Urals,  and  of  his  conviction — which  Yermak  presently 
confirmed — that  the  Stroganof  prophecy  was  destined  to  find 
fulfilment  at  my  hands  and  his.  My  uncle  reflected  long  and 
deeply,  being  also  greatly  impressed  with  this  idea,  and  presently 
gave  as  his  opinion  that  it  might  very  well  be  as  we  had  concluded 
— or  as  Yermak  had,  for  I  as  yet  failed  to  realise  myself  as  the 
long-foretold  conqueror — but  that  if  so,  this  could  not  happen  at 
the  present  time,  for  such  a  great  enterprise  as  the  conquest  of  a 
continent  would  need  much  preparation  and  the  collecting  of  a 
large  force  of  soldiers.  We  might  indeed  now  make  a  preliminary 
survey  of  the  country  in  preparation  for  a  future  campaign,  and 
indeed  we  could  scarcely  do  anything  wiser  than  betake  ourselves 
beyond  the  Urals,  pending  the  Tsar's  return  to  a  more  friendly 
attitude  towards  myself. 

1  As  for  present  assistance,'  my  good  uncle  said,  we  were  rich, 
we  Stroganofs,  and,  God  knew,  I  was  welcome  to  my  share,  though 
I  did  not  contribute  much  to  the  wealth  of  the  family  !  At  this 
I  laughed,  and  said  that  if  I  added  Siberia  to  the  Stroganof  pos- 
sessions, I  should  have  done  my  share,  whereupon  Yermak  looked 
preternaturally  grave,  and  my  uncle  turned  to  the  ikon  and 
piously  crossed  himself. 

'  What  God  will  give  that  He  shall  give !  '  he  said  reverently. 

The  result  of  all  of  which  was  that  Yermak  and  I,  with  our 
wives  and  one  of  my  brothers — who  discerned,  with  his  merchant's 
eye,  great  commercial  possibilities  in  the  enterprise,  and  came  as 
a  trader  and  nominal  chief  of  the  expedition,  we  others  forming 
his  escort — spent  the  whole  of  that  summer  exploring  the  territory 
beyond  the  great  range  of  the  Urals — trading,  fighting  occasionally, 
and  making  friends  with  the  natives,  and  prospecting  their  coun- 
try and  rivers ;  and  the  more  we  saw  of  this  land  the  better  we 
liked  it,  and  the  more  determined  did  Yermak  and  I  become  that 
one  day  we  would  make  it  our  own,  or  gain  it  for  the  Tsar.  This 
expedition  had  besides  another  excellent  result  ;  it  made  a  man  of 
my  brother,  who  had  up  to  this  time  been  a  mere  trading  animal,  of  a 


12  A    BOYAR    OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

worthy  and  harmless,  but  effeminate  type.  He  now  developed 
quite  a  love  for  hunting  and  the  life  of  the  open  air  ■  and  many 
times,  during  fighting  with  the  natives  of  the  country,  he  displayed 
spirit  and  energy  which  no  one,  knowing  him  only  at  Perm  and 
in  the  bazaars,  would  have  supposed  him  to  possess. 

Thirdly,  my  beautiful  princess  had  before  the  end  of  this 
summer  presented  me  with  a  magnificent  little  son,  of  whom  I  may 
have  more  to  say  later  on.  Our  married  life  had  been  one  delight- 
ful dream  of  happiness,  and  it  has  ever  been  a  cherished  memory 
for  me  that  my  princess  accompanied  me  upon  that  first  expedi- 
tion into  Siberia,  and  saw  with  her  own  eyes  the  great  empire 
which  her  lord  and  lover  was  destined,  in  future  days,  to  conquer. 

When  we  returned  to  Perm,  just  before  the  setting-in  of 
winter,  I  found  to  my  delight  that,  by  the  clemency  of  the  Tsar, 
my  master,  the  putting  of  a  price  upon  my  head  had  been  with- 
drawn, so  that  I  was  now  able  to  live  in  peace  at  the  home  of  my 
fathers  without  fear  of  being  murdered  by  some  unscrupulous  per- 
son anxious  to  touch  the  reward  of  so  base  an  action.  In  my  self- 
sufficiency  I  had  never  felt  fear  on  my  own  account ;  but  the  relief 
which  the  new  state  of  affairs  afforded  to  my  Vera's  anxiety  was 
so  great  that  I  could  not  forbear,  in  sympathy  with  her,  to  rejoice 
also. 

I  learned  later  that  I  had  Adashef  to  thank  for  the  Tsar's 
clemency ;  for  that  Ivan  Vasilitch  was  now  entirely  under  the 
control  and  benignant  influence  of  the  monk  Sylvester  and  of 
Adashef ;  and  that  the  Tsaritsa  had  quite  won  by  this  time  the 
heart  of  her  imperious  young  lord,  who  was  now  dominated  by  the 
trio  mentioned,  and  was  in  process  of  being  converted  into  a 
reformed  character. 

All  this  was  pleasant  hearing  for  me,  and  gave  me  hopes  that 
the  day  might  even  yet  dawn,  and  that  soon,  when  my  master  and 
I  should  renew  our  old  intimate  and  friendly  relations.  For  though 
I  had  learned,  at  Vera's  hands,  that  there  are  better  things  in  this 
world  than  the  favour  of  the  Tsar,  yet  I  sorely  longed,  at  times, 
to  be  at  peace  with  my  master,  for  whom,  in  spite  of  everything, 
I  cherished  a  peculiarly  warm  love,  and  an  equally  intense  pity. 


A   P,OYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  13 

CHAFTER   XXIV. 

AN    INTERVIEW    WITH    THE    TSAR. 

If  I  were  to  set  down  all  my  adventures  from  the  point  at  which 
my  record  has  now  arrived  up  to  the  present  time  with  as  much 
detail  as  has  been  used  in  the  description  of  my  quarrel  with  my 
master  and  its  causes  and  results,  I  should  produce  indeed  a  mass 
of  manuscript,  for  my  life  has  been  from  its  beginning,  or  near  it, 
to  its  end — counting  this  present  time  as  the  end,  for  the  real 
end  cannot  now  be  far  distant  (and  indeed  the  end  of  activity  and 
the  life  of  energy  is,  for  me,  the  end  of  all  things  in  so  far  as  this 
life  is  worth  the  living) — one  long  term  of  adventure  and  incident. 
My  late  master,  the  Tsar  Ivan,  was  a  great  letter-writer.  His  cor- 
respondence was  ever  the  most  voluminous,  and  I  believe  I  must 
have  learned  from  him,  during  our  close  intimacy  of  the  last  few 
years  of  his  life,  to  love  the  exercise  of  setting  quill  to  paper ;  for 
up  to  that  time  I  never  did  much  writing  of  any  kind,  though 
always  a  '  grammatnui,'  as  we  call  those  who  are  able  to  read  and 
write,  being  generally  too  busy  with  a  more  warlike  implement 
than  the  pen  to  have  time  for  the  occupation  which  now,  in  the 
stiffness  and  feebleness  of  advancing  years,  I  have  learned  to  love  ; 
it  is  a  good  pastime  for  those  who  can  do  nothing  better;  I 
suppose  for  the  reason  that  the  next  best  thing  to  fighting  or  hunt- 
ing, or  living  adventurously,  is  to  speak  or  write  of  these  matters. 

Yermak  took  his  leave  of  us  after  our  return  to  Perm,  having 
first  solemnly  promised  to  visit  me  at  springtime  once  in  every 
two  years  until  such  time  as,  in  the  wisdom  of  my  uncle,  it  would 
be  possible  for  us  to  undertake  the  campaign  upon  which,  by  this 
time,  both  we  and  he  and  even  my  brothers  had  set  our  hearts. 
But  my  uncle  bade  us  practise  patience,  for,  said  he,  there  was  no 
opportunity  at  present  for  such  enterprise.  If  undertaken  now, 
it  would  partake  of  the  character  of  a  mere  piratical  expedition, 
and  would  undoubtedly  displease  the  Tsar,  whose  mind  was  not  at 
present  prepared  for  conquests  in  his  name  in  the  direction  of 
Siberia. 

'  Let  us  first  prove  to  the  Tsar  the  necessity  of  the  undertaking, 
and  our  ability  to  carry  it  out,'  said  my  uncle,  'and  then  let  us 
set  about  it  with  his  sanction;  this  may  not  be  in  my  day,  but 
the  day  will  come  that  we  Stroganofs  shall  set  our  foot  upon  the 
neck  of  the  Siberian  Tsar.  I  am  sure  of  it  ;  I  see  it  in  my  dreams, 
nightly.' 


i4  A   1S0YAR    OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

Therefore  the  prospective  Siberian  campaign  settled  itself  in 
our  brains,  and  there  remained  a  fixed  and  permanent  guest  for 
some  twenty  years. 

Meanwhile,  to  deal  first  with  my  uncle's  activity  during  that 
period,  in  order  to  make  way  for  my  own  records,  the  Stroganofs 
during  the  next  few  years  displayed  the  most  astonishing  energy. 
Their  trade  in  dried  fish  and,  especially,  in  salt  of  their  own  pro- 
duction and  preparation,  increased  so  enormously  that  several 
towns  sprang  up  between  Perm  and  the  Urals  as  the  direct  product 
of  their  extended  operations.  These  towns  were  peopled  almost 
exclusively  by  persons  employed  by  the  Stroganofs  to  work  the 
various  new  salt-digging  and  preparing  establishments  inaugurated 
by  my  energetic  uncle  and  brothers.  Each  of  these  Stroganof 
towns  was  surrounded  by  a  considerable  wall  to  protect  it  from 
incursions  by  the  wild  and  warlike  tribes  inhabiting  the  slopes  of 
the  Urals,  and  was  moreover  provided  with  a  kind  of  garrison  of 
fighting  men,  mostly  Cossacks  from  the  Don  and  '  birds  of  the 
Steppes,'  as  the  wilder  Cossack  robbers  from  the  district  indicated 
were  then  called.  In  this  manner,  my  wise  and  really  great  uncle 
prepared  the  way,  very  gradually,  for  the  darling  project  of  his 
heart,  and  by  the  time  a  score  or  so  of  years  (from  Ivan's  accession) 
had  passed,  he  had  actually  so  far  extended  his  influence  and  his 
commercial  interests,  that  he  had  obtained  permission  from  the 
Tsar  to  establish  small  forts  and  business  centres  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  Urals,  as  far  as  the  river  Tobol,  a  tributary  of  the  Obi. 

The  Tsar,  to  his  great  honour  be  it  said,  did  not  allow  his  dis- 
pleasure with  myself  (which,  alas  !  burned  like  the  lamp  before  an 
ikon,  inextinguishable  in  his  bosom !)  to  stand  between  the  other 
members  of  my  family  and  his  favour.  With  that  greatness  of 
mind  and  breadth  of  vision  which  ever  distinguished  my  imperial 
master,  Ivan  did  not  fail  to  observe  the  value  of  the  work  being 
done  by  the  Stroganofs  of  Perm,  and  since  my  uncle  never  under- 
took the  founding  of  a  new  city  or  any  advance  eastwards  without 
first  asking  the  sanction  of  the  Tsar,  and  offering  a  fair  tribute  to 
the  crown  upon  any  profits  he  might  make  by  the  new  enterprise, 
Ivan  invariably  gave  his  consent  to  such  undertakings,  generally 
couched  in  one  of  those  long-winded  but  very  complete  and  com- 
prehensive letters  in  which  his  soul  took  delight. 

So,  then,  my  uncle  and  my  brothers  prepared  the  way  for 
Yermak  and  for  me.  Meanwhile,  I — restless  spirit  that  I  was, 
und  partly  because  I  was  anxious  to  regain  the  favour  of  my 
offended  master — threw  myself  with  fervour  into  any  and  every 


.4   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRU'LE.  15 

enterprise  which  teemed  to  savour  of  adventure,  and  to  contain 
the  opportunity  for  distinction. 

I  was  at  Kazan  when  that  Mussulman  city  was  taken  by  the 
armies  of  Ivan  ;  the  first  great  victory  in  Russia  of  Cross  over 
Crescent.  I  may  say,  without  boasting,  that  I  was  the  verv  first 
Russian  to  enter  the  place  after  the  walls  had  been  breached  by 
the  exertions  of  our  German  engineers  ;  it  is  in  reality  no  boast  to 
claim  this  distinction,  because  I  achieved  it  by  no  merit  of  my 
own.  I  was  one  of  those  who  swarmed  over  the  breach,  a  dense 
mass  of  fighters,  and  was  knocked  on  the  head  from  behind  by  one 
of  our  own  men,  and  sent  tumbling  into  the  streets  of  Kazan.  Why 
my  friend  should  have  treated  me  so  unceremoniously  I  am  unable 
to  say ;  probably  he  was  desirous  to  be  himself  the  first  over  the 
walls,  and  feared  that  my  manifest  energy  would  forestall  him. 
At  any  rate,  down  I  went  unconscious,  and  my  friends  swarmed 
over  me. 

And  unconscious  I  remained  for  some  little  while,  to  which 
fact  I  may  attribute  my  escape  from  a  very  shocking  spectacle — 
namely,  the  massacre  of  the  Tartar  population  of  Kazan  by  the 
Christians.  So  terribly  complete  was  the  slaughter,  that  the  city 
of  Kazan  has  never  to  this  day  recovered  its  Mussulman  popula- 
tion to  any  considerable  extent ;  and  those  few  Tartars  who  still 
inhabit  the  place  are  to  be  found  only  in  the  suburbs. 

The  Tsar  was  present  in  person  at  the  taking  of  Kazan  ;  I  had 
oten  seen  him  during  the  preliminary  operations,  but  had  avoided 
his  observation,  fearing  lest  the  sight  of  me  should  anger  him,  and 
that  I  should  be  instructed  to  depart  before  the  storming  of  the 
city.  Adashef  saw  me  once,  but  at  my  urgent  entreaty  he  agreed 
to  say  nothing  to  the  Tsar,  who,  he  told  me,  never  mentioned  my 
name,  and  must,  he  feared,  still  be  incensed  against  me. 

1  And  yet  I  am  innocent  of  conscious  offence,  Adashef,'  I  said. 

Adashef  laughed.  '  The  Tsar  is  a  most  devoted  husband  to 
his  wife,  Sasha,'  he  said ;  '  I  do  not  think  he  any  longer  covets 
another  man's  goods.' 

1  Yet  he  continues  angered  against  those  who  are  in  possession 
of  them  ! '  I  said  bitterly. 

'Who  can  read  the  Tsars  mind?'  said  Adashef;  'not  I.  for 
one  !  * 

Nevertheless  I  both  saw  and  spoke  to  the  Tsar  at  this  time, 
and  it  happened  in  this  wise. 

I  have  said  that  I  was  knocked  senseless  into  Kazan  by  some 
one  from  behind :  and  it  so  happened,  luckily  for  me,  that  the 


16  A   BO  YAK   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

enemy  were  not  at  hand  to  finish  the  work  done  by  my  own  side  5 
for  at  our  appearance  at  the  breach  they  had  fled  very  quickly 
away.  In  consequence,  I  was  the  only  wounded  man  in  this  place, 
and  I  lay  unconscious  or  but  half-conscious,  until  I  suddenly  heard 
a  very  familiar  voice  in  conversation  with  Kurbsky,  the  commander 
of  our  forces.  It  was  the  Tsar's  voice,  and  my  faculties  seemed  to 
return  at  the  sound  of  it,  though  I  could  not  exercise  sufficient 
volition  to  open  my  eyes  or  to  raise  myself  to  my  feet. 

The  troops  were  busy  plundering  and  murdering,  and  the 
sound  of  their  hellish  proceedings  reached  my  ears  from  a  distance. 
The  Tsar's  voice  sounded  miles  away  also,  though  he  and  Kurbsky 
stood  close  to  me  upon  the  loose  stones  of  the  breach,  for  the  Tsar 
was  now  entering  the  city  for  the  first  time,  under  Kurbsky's 
guidance.  His  voice,  in  the  joy  and  triumph  of  the  moment, 
sounded  jubilant. 

'  Here  is  a  dead  soldier,  Kurbsky,'  he  said,  '  and  from  his 
appearance,  a  boyar ;  what  does  he  here  ?  ' 

'  It  is  the  body  of  him  who  was  the  first  to  enter  the  city,' 
said  Kurbsky,  '  as  I  am  informed,  and  his  name  is  one  that  should 
be  familiar  to  thee,  Ivan  Vasilitch ;  he  is  Alexander  Stroganof.' 

'  What ! '  said  the  Tsar,  as  though  moved  or  amazed,  '  Sasha 
Stroganof,  and  dead  ? ' 

I  tried  to  open  my  eyes  or  to  move,  in  order  to  show  that  I 
lived,  but  for  the  life  of  me  I  could  not. 

'  It  is  certainly  Stroganof,'  said  Kurbsky,  c  and  undoubtedly,  I 
fear,  dead  ;  for  see,  he  moves  not,  and  does  not  seem  to  breathe.' 

'  God  have  mercy  upon  his  soul,  and  Christ  receive  it,'  said 
Ivan ;  '  and  his  wife  a  widow  ! '  he  added. 

At  this  I  made  a  second  effort  to  sit  up  in  order  to  show  that 
my  poor  princess  was  not  to  mourn  me  yet  awhile,  but  the  result 
of  the  effort  was  a  little  sigh  and  nothing  more. 

'  See,  he  moves  ! '  said  Kurbsky,  '  he  is  not  dead  ;  our  voices 
have  roused  him.     Awake,  Stroganof;  it  is  the  Tsar! ' 

'  Nay,  if  he  be  alive,'  said  the  Tsar,  coldly,  '  let  him  be  ;  he  will 
recover  without  our  aid.  Send  him  to  me,  Kurbsky,  when  he  is 
fit  for  it  ;  I  would  speak  with  him.' 

Consequently,  that  night,  as  I  lay  weak  and  weary  and  sick, 
with  the  grievous  head-blow  I  had  received,  Kurbsky  came  and 
bade  me  attend  in  the  Tsar's  pavilion  on  the  following  morning, 
and  to  the  great  tent  of  his  Highness  I  dragged  myself  at  the  time 
appointed.  I  went  with  light  heart,  though  with  stiff  and  painful 
limbs,  for  I  made  sure  that  the  Tsar  would  now  forgive  me,  or 


A  BOYAR   OE  THE   TERRIBLE.  17 

rather — since  I  had  done  nothing  wrong — receive  me  hack  into 
that  favour  of  which  I  had  heen  so  long  unjustly  deprived. 

But  the  Tsar  had  no  favour  for  me. 

'I  have  sent  for  thee,  boyar,  to  bid  thee  return  whence  thou 
earnest,"  he  said  ;  '  see  that  thou  depart  before  the  sun  sets  a  second 
time.' 

'  Tsar  Ivan  Vasilitch !  '  I  said,  bursting,  I  believe,  into  tears, 
in  my  weakness  and  my  disappointment,  'hast  thou  no  measure 
01  favour  for  me  ?  ' 

'  None,'  said  he,  '  there  is  no  friendship  between  thee  and  me, 
Stroganof,  nor  can  ever  be;  what  thou  hast  done  thou  hast  done 
knowing  this,  that  in  doing  it  there  must  be  an  end  of  all  things 
between  us.' 

1  Is  there  never  to  be  an  end  to  thy  wrath,  Tsar  ?  '  I  said. 

1  My  wrath  against  thee  is  ended  long  since.  There  remains 
only  the  word  of  the  Tsar  :  what  I  have  said  I  have  said  and  cannot 
alter.     Didst  thou  not  marry  a  wife  ?  ' 

1  The  Princess  Vera  is  my  wife,'  I  said, '  as  she  was  my  betrothed 
wife  before  thy  ookaz,  Tsar.' 

'Some  there  are  who  grudge  neither  treasure  nor  even  life 
itself  when  the  Tsar  asks  it  of  them.  I  asked  a  little  thing  of 
thee,  Stroganof,  and  thou  wouldest  not ! ' 

'  Is  love  a  little  thing,'  I  said  hotly,  '  which  is  more  strong 
than  life  ?  Ask  ray  treasure,  my  service,  my  very  life  of  me,  and 
I  will  give  it  to  thee,  Tsar,  and  that  thou  knowest.' 

'  It  is  better  to  give  what  is  asked  of  thee  than  to  offer  that 
which  is  not  needed,'  said  Ivan;  '  I  asked  of  thee,  not  thy  life's 
love,  but  simple  obedience  to  the  word  of  the  Tsar.' 

'  The  two  years  are  past  and  gone  now,'  I  said,  '  and  the  Tsar- 
it  sa.  whom  God  preserve,  still  lives  and  is  in  good  health.  I  should 
have  married  Vera  Krilof  before  now  even  though  I  had  waited  at 
thy  bidding.' 

'  It  is  true,  and  my  own  wife  is  a  very  angel  from  heaven,'  said 
Ivan,  intensely;  'but  thou  hast  nevertheless  put  to  scorn  the  word 
of  the  Tsar.' 

1  Pardon,  then,  Ivan  Vasilitch,"  I  said. 

'  No  pardon,  I  say,'  he  cried  ;  '  must  the  Tsar  eat  his  words  to 
please  thee?  ' 

I  bowed  and  made  as  though  to  retire,  fur  if  was  useless  to 
prolong  this  conversation.  But  the  Tsar  called  to  me  to  .-top,  and 
said,  speaking  rapidly  and  flushing: 

'Tell  thy  wife   that  the  Tsaritsa  grows  more  beautiful  each 

VOL.  XXIX.    NO.  CLX1X.  C 


1 8  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

day  ;  that  she  is  a  very  angel  from  heaven,  and  that  the  Tsar  lo\  es 
her,  as  he  loved  her  from  the  first,  with  all  his  soul.  Tell  her 
this.' 

I  did  tell  my  princess  what  the  Tsar  said  of  the  Tsaritsa,  and 
Vera  laughed  and  said  :  'Tell  the  Tsar,  when  you  see  him,  that 
my  own  man  is  as  much  a  man  as  ever — not  angelic  altogether, 
but  a  good  enough  husband  for  a  tiger-cat ;  and  that  I  love  him, 
as  I  loved  him  from  the  first,  with  all  my  soul ! '  And  then  we  both 
laughed ;  and  though  I  do  not  quite  know  what  we  laughed  at,  I 
believe  Vera  did. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

AMONG   THE   ENGLISH. 

The  next  year  and  a  half  were  spent  by  me  in  the  quiet  happiness 
of  domestic  life  at  Perm.  I  do  not  mean  that  I  sat  at  home  and 
courted  my  beautiful  wife  and  played  with  the  two  little  Stroganofs 
who  had  appeared  since  our  union  to  fill  our  hearts  with  thank- 
fulness and  to  modify  the  Amazonian  spirit  of  my  princess,  who 
now  settled  down  to  maternal  interests  and  duties  with  as  beautiful 
a  grace  as  she  had  ever  displayed  in  the  wild  days  of  her  girlhood. 
I  did  but  little  sitting  at  home  ;  that  is  not  my  department  in  life, 
as  Xature  fashioned  me ;  but  I  lived  at  Perm  and  hunted  in  the 
woods  around,  and  loved  my  wife  none  the  less  because  I  was  not 
for  ever  at  her  elbow.  If  I  understand  my  princess — as  I  think  I 
do — I  am  convinced  that  she  would  not  have  had  it  otherwise,  for 
she  well  knew  that  a  man  must  live  his  life  as  God  intended  him 
to  live  it,  following  the  bent  of  his  particular  disposition.  My 
princess  would  have  wept  to  see  me  lose  my  passion  for  the  life  of 
the  woods  and  my  love  for  danger  and  adventure.  Had  I  grown 
uxorious  and  a  lover  of  indoor  pleasures,  I  think  Vera  would  have 
chased  me  forth  into  the  forest,  bidding  me  take  my  dogs  and  my 
knife  and  hunt,  lest  I  developed  into  a  sloth  and  a  sluggard,  and 
lost  that  manhood  in  me  which  had  won  for  me  her  own  heart. 

So,  then,  I  passed  my  time  in  hunting,  leaving  to  my  princess 
the  responsibility  of  training  the  earliest  glimmerings  of  under- 
standing in  our  little  ones,  a  task  which  who  can  perform  more 
properly  or  more  beautifully  than  a  mother  ?  Occasionally  Vera 
would  find  time  to  ride  out  with  me,  and  her  ecstasy  on  such  fes- 


A    B&YAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  19 

tival  days  proved  beyond  doubt  that  my  wife's  youthful  spirit  was 
still  alive  and  did  but  lie  in  abeyance  in  favour  of  the  more  en- 
grossing duties  of  maternity. 

But  my  own  restless  spirit  tired,  presently,  of  life  at  Perm, 
and  I  was  glad  when  the  time  approached  at  which  Yermak  had 
appointed  to  meet  me  upon  the  Kama ;  for  I  longed  to  go  afield 
and  rind  adventure  ;  I  longed  most  of  all  for  reconciliation  with  the 
Tsar,  in  order  that  I  might  take  my  proper  plate  in  his  armies, 
which  were  to  fight  again  and  again  during  these  years  with  the 
hosts  of  Islam,  and  to  wrench  the  standard  of  the  Crescent  from 
the  position  it  had  usurped  upon  the  fortresses  and  cities  which 
belonged  of  right  to  the  people  of  Holy  Kussia.  But  the  Tsar,  I 
knew,  would  have  none  of  me  at  present. 

Yermak  came  at  the  time  appointed,  and  had  proposals  to  make, 
which  pleased  me.  The  Cossack  chief  suggested  an  expedition  up 
the  Dwina  river  as  far  as  the  great  northern  sea ;  an  enterprise 
which  might  possibly  prove  extremely  profitable  to  him,  and  was 
sure  to  provide  me  with  a  sufficiency  of  that  adventure  for  which 
my  soul  thirsted. 

Accordingly  I  agreed  to  go  with  Yermak,  taking  my  princess 
and  her  pair  of  babes  with  me,  and  journeying  by  river  and  lake, 
through  the  pleasant  summer  months,  until  we  reached  the 
monastery  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dwina  known  as  the  House  of 
St.  Michael,1  where  we  met  with  a  notable  adventure. 

Our  galleys  lay  at  anchor  in  the  fine  basin  of  the  river,  and 
beyond  us  glittered  that  wonderful  sea  upon  which  neither  Vera 
nor  I  had  ever  set  eyes  up  to  this  day,  and  of  which,  from  my  very 
first  glance  at  it,  I  determined  to  know  more  before  I  should  be 
greatly  older. 

We  had  not  been  at  anchor  in  this  place  for  many  days,  when, 
to  our  surprise,  a  large  foreign  ship  came  sailing  in  from  sea,  and 
Yermak  was  all  for  attacking  the  vessel  with  our  galleys,  a  propo- 
sal to  which  I  was  unwilling  to  agree.  Presently  a  large  gun  was 
fired  from  the  ship,  not,  as  I  believe,  with  the  intention  of  injuring 
us,  but  by  way  of  some  sort  of  signal  or  greeting;  for,  so  far  as  I 
could  see,  there  was  no  shot  or  cannon-ball :  at  any  rate,  none 
struck  the  water  near  us. 

Presently,  a  portion  of  the  crew  of  the  vessel,  together  with  the 
captain,  who  seemed  a  boyar  of  distinguished  appearance,  embarked 
in  a  small  boat  and  came  ashore,  Yermak  and  I,  together  with  an 
armed  following,  doing  the  same.     "We  met  on  the  shore  and  ex- 

1  Afterwards  Arc! 

ca 


go  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

changed  peaceful  salutations,  the  foreign  boyar  being  a  person  of 
excellent  manners  and  very  courtly  air. 

He  told  us,  through  an  interpreter  (whom  he  had  picked  up  on 
the  coast  of  Norway,  a  Russian  fisherman  who  had  been  cast  ashore 
in  that  country,  and  had  now  found  this  means  of  returning  to  his 
native  land),  that  they  came  from  the  country  of  the  English  King 
Edward,  and  had  sailed  with  three  vessels  under  the  command  of 
one  Willoughby,  who — with  two  of  the  ships — had  gone  to  the 
bottom  of  the  sea  during  a  great  storm  of  wind.  Then  this  boyar, 
the  lieutenant  of  the  expedition,  by  name  Chancellor,1  had  pushed 
on  alone,  being  determined  to  investigate  this  great  northern  sea, 
the  girdle  of  the  world,  which  led,  it  was  said,  to  the  country  of 
the  Kitai  Tsar,2  and  had  found  himself,  at  length,  where  he  now 
was.  What  land  was  this  ?  and  who  was  our  sovereign  ?  and  were 
we  standing,  Chancellor  asked,  under  the  North  Pole? 

We  told  Chancellor  that  he  had  come  a  long  way,  and  that  he 
now  stood  in  the  northern  part  of  the  empire  of  the  Tsar  of  Moscow, 
Ivan  Vasilitch. 

'  Then,'  said  Chancellor,  '  I  will  leave  my  ship  and  go  pay  my 
respects  to  this  Tsar  of  yours,  for  I  have  letters  to  him  from  our 
English  king,  and  many  matters  of  great  importance  to  discuss.' 

But  first  the  Tsar  himself  must  be  consulted  as  to  what  should 
be  done  with  these  foreigners,  and  there  was  a  very  long  delay 
while  messengers  were  sent  to  Moscow.  During  this  time  of  wait- 
ing I  made  great  friends  with  the  English  boyar,  who  learned  a 
little  of  our  language,  and  I  some  of  his  ;  and  together  we  hunted, 
and  fished  the  waters  of  the  great  sea,  and  went  and  came  together 
as  intimate  friends.  Chancellor  was  surprised  at  the  loveliness  of 
my  princess,  and  asked  me  whether  all  Russian  women  were  as 
beautiful  as  she,  to  which  I  replied  that  there  was  but  one  sun  in 
the  heavens,  with  many  lesser  stars ;  and  on  earth  but  one  Vera. 

Chancellor  had  somewhat  to  teach  me  in  the  art  of  sword- 
fencing,  an  art  in  which  I  was  quick  to  learn,  and  not  slow  to 
outstrip  my  master :  but  in  such  matters  as  swimming,  hunting, 
running, — as  well  as  in  strength  of  limb  and  hand,  the  Englishman 
— though  active  for  his  age,  and  no  weakling,  and  as  brave  as  any 
lion — was  far  below  me. 

When  the  answer  came  from  the  Tsar,  it  was  evident  that  Ivan 
thought  very  greatly  indeed  of  the  arrival  of  the  English  ship,  and 
desired  to  do  the  English  boyar  much  honour,  for  he  bade  him 

1  Whom  the  Russian  records  call  '  Chensler/ 
*  China. 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  21 

come  directly  to  Moscow,  and  ordered  far  and  wide  that  he  be 
treated  on  his  way  with  every  respect  and  every  consideration,  as 
a  great  ambassador  between  princes.  "When  I  found  that  this  was 
the  bent  of  the  Tsar's  mind,  I  determined  to  accompany  Chancel- 
lor to  Moscow,  as  his  discoverer,  if  one  may  make  a  vain  boa-t  and 
claim  as  a  virtue  what  was  in  reality  an  accident ;  for  I  hoped  that 
the  Tsar  would  account  it  a  good  service  to  have  brought  this 
foreigner  to  his  Court,  and  would  smile  upon  me  once  again,  espe- 
cially as  all  agreed  that  no  husband  could  be  more  devoted  to  his 
wife  than  was  he,  by  this  time,  to  his  Romanof  Tsaritsa. 

This  visit  of  Chancellor  to  Moscow  was  the  first  beginning  of 
the  Tsar's  relations  with  England,  with  which  country  our  wise 
Tsar — recognising  its  power  and  influence  in  the  world,  and  the 
marvellous  activity  of  its  merchants  and  navigators — ever  displayed 
the  greatest  desire  to  come  into  close  and  familiar  intercourse. 

Chancellor  was  received  at  the  Tsar's  dinner-table,  where  Ivan 
sent  him  the  bread  and  salt,  addressing  him  by  his  name,  Richard 
Chancellor,  and  according  to  him  the  first  portion  of  each  dish  ; 
but  Chancellor  said  no  word  until  after  the  repast,  having  no  right 
to  speak,  but  only  to  bow  (which  he  did  with  supreme  grace)  until 
invited  to  converse  with  the  Tsar.  The  Tsar  sat  this  day  upon 
his  Chair  of  State,  which  was  so  thickly  inlaid  with  gems  of  a 
kind  called  '  turquoise,'  ten  thousand  of  which  were  used  for  the 
back  of  the  chair  alone,  that  not  an  atom  of  the  silver  or  ivory  of 
the  throne  '  is  visible,  but  only  gems  placed  as  close  to  one  another 
as  the  stones  that  pave  the  roads  here  and  there  in  the  city  of  the 
English  king. 

The  Tsar  looked  first  surprised  and  then  embarrassed  and 
angry  when  he  saw  that  I  was  among  the  companions  of  the 
English  boyar ;  nevertheless  he  did  not  vent  his  displeasure  upon 
me  publicly,  but  sent  me  the  bread  and  salt  and  my  portion  of 
the  repast,  though  he  spoke  my  name  with  frowning  brow. 
Moreover,  though  I  tarried  in  Moscow  all  the  while  that  Chancellor 
himself  remained,  Ivan  did  not  send  me  away  ;  so  that  I  began  to 
hope  his  anger  against  me  was  gradually  cooling  down  ;  and  when 
at  last  I  was  blessed  with  an  interview  with  my  master,  I  found 
to  my  intense  joy  that  this  was  indeed  the  case. 

And  yet,  even  now,  the  old  fire  of  his  wrath  burst  forth  again, 
showing  that  it  only  smouldered  and  was  far  from  being  quenched  ; 
though  I  must  admit,  in  justice  to  my  master,  that  it  was  my  own 
foolishness  that  awoke  the  slumbering  flames. 

1  This  throne  may  -till  be  seen  in  the  Kremlin, 


22  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

I  came  face  to  face  with  the  Tsar  in  the  Church  of  Uspensky, 
where  he  leaned  on  the  arm  of  Sylvester,  that  good  and  great 
man,  who,  with  Adashef  and  the  Tsaritsa,  for  upwards  of  ten  years 
kept  within  bounds  such  passions  as  have  rarely  swelled  in  human 
breast  before  or  since  ;  for  such  were  the  passions  of  Ivan  of 
Russia,  the  terrible  Tsar. 

He  was  not  terrible  on  this  day  of  the  Uspensky.  On  the 
contrary,  softened  by  the  exercise  of  prayer  and  worship,  Ivan 
actually  smiled  upon  me  as  he  met  me,  and,  sending  Sylvester 
away  upon  some  pretext,  took  my  own  arm  instead  of  the  monk's. 

'  Thou  hast  done  me  a  service  in  bringing  to  me  this  English 
merchant,  Sasha,'  he  said  ;  '  I  will  remember  it  to  thy  credit.' 

1  Alas !  how  many  services  must  be  added  together  to  regain 
me  thy  favour,  Tsar  Ivan  Vasilitch  ? '  I  said. 

'  Perhaps  many,  perhaps  few  ;  but  this  shall  be  reckoned  the 
second,  for  I  have  not  forgotten  thee  at  Kazan  ;  thou  mayest  yet 
regain  thy  place  in  the  land,  Stroganof,  and  in  my  heart ;  let  us 
pray  together  before  the  ikon  of  St.  Methodius.'  Which  we  did, 
the  Tsar  praying  longer  than  I  and  more  devoutly.  He  was  at 
this  time  an  enthusiast  in  religion,  and  ever  afterwards — even  in 
his  most  savage  and  implacable  fits  of  passion  and  cruelty — he 
never  forgot  the  devout  habits  now  acquired,  but  invariably  prayed 
heartily  for  those  who  had  suffered  as  his  victims. 

Afterwards  the  Tsar  accompanied  me  through  the  streets,  still 
leaning  upon  my  arm,  and  asking  me  many  questions — not  one 
of  which  was  about  my  beautiful  Vera.  Had  I  been  aught  but  a 
thoughtless  fool,  I  should  have  let  well  alone  and  said  nothing  also 
on  that  dangerous  subject ;  but  destiny  having  determined  that  I 
should  play  the  part  of  a  fool,  I  did  so,  and  mentioned  her  name. 
The  Tsar  flushed  and  made  a  gesture  of  anger ;  I  saw  both,  but 
made  as  though  I  had  seen  neither. 

'Where,  then,  is  the  boyarinya  Stroganof?  '  asked  Ivan,  after 
a  pause. 

1  At  the  Stroganof  mansion,'  I  said. 

'  At  Perm  ?  ' 

'  In  Moscow.     I  brought  her  with  me.' 

The  Tsar  stopped  suddenly  in  his  course  and  crossed  himself, 
muttering  something  which  I  did  not  hear. 

'Come,'  he  said,  '  I  will  see  this  woman ! '  and  taking  my  arm 
once  more,  he  hurried  me  away  towards  the  Stroganof  house, 
walking  much  faster  than  we  had  walked  before,  but  saying 
nothing.     When  we  reached  the  mansion  I  glanced  at  the  Tsar 


./    BO-YAM   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  23 

and  saw  that  he  was  very  pale  and  even  trembled  a  little,  and 
that  his  lips  seemed  to  be  busy  in  prayer. 

Vera  had  not  expected  to  see  the  Tsar,  and  was  somewhat 
disconcerted  by  his  sudden  arrival.  She  caughi  up  the  child  she 
had  been  playing  with,  thus  betraying  that  her  first  instinct  on 
seeing  the  Tsar  was  fear,  or  distrust.  Ivan  noticed  nothing  of 
this,  however  ;  he  fixed  his  hawk's  eyes  upon  Yera's  face  and  gazed 
intently  upon  her  ;  the  child  cried. 

This  appeared  to  touch  some  chord  which  angered  Ivan.  He 
suddenly  stamped  and  turned  his  back  upon  mother  and  infant, 
without  having  said  so  much  as  a  word  of  greeting. 

'  Take  her  hence,'  he  said  to  me,  looking  quite  livid  with  rage  ; 
'  I  have  married  an  angel  from  heaven  ;  what  have  I  to  do  with 
devils  ?  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan  !  '  My  spirit  took  fire  at  his 
words. 

'.My  wife  is  no  devil,  Tsar,'  I  said  boldly;  'the  devil  that  vexes 
thee  is  within  thy  own  bosom.'  Ivan  raised  his  staff,  as  though 
to  strike  me. 

'  Tsar  Ivan,'  said  my  princess,  '  you  dare  not ! ' 

The  Tsar  let  his  staff  fall  to  the  ground. 

'No,'  he  said,  '  I  dare  not ;  I  am  not  as  I  was  in  the  days  of 
darkness;  I  am  the  servant  of  God.  We  will  kneel  together  before 
the  ikon!' 

It  was  all  I  could  do  to  retain  my  gravity  under  this  sudden 
change.  The  Tsar  was  certainly  an  apt  pupil  of  Sylvester,  or  the 
monk  was  a  marvellous  master.  Nevertheless,  we  knelt  with  the 
Tsar  before  the  ikon. 

When  our  prayers  were  finished,  he  was  calm,  and  addressing 
me,  having  averted  his  face  from  Vera,  upon  whom  he  did  not 
bestow  another  look  during  the  rest  of  the  interview,  he  bade  me, 
without  further  parley,  escort  Chancellor  back  to  the  Dwina,  and 
accompany  him  to  England. 

1  Take  with  thee  thy  wife,'  he  added,  '  for  it  is  ill  for  a  man  to 
separate  himself  from  her  to  whom  God  has  united  him.  Go, 
then,  to  this  English  king's  country,  and  learn  what  thou  canst 
of  his  people  and  trade,  and  all  that  concerns  them ;  this  I  shall 
account  a  service  from  thee.  Chancellor  will  depart  to-morrow, 
and  t  hou  and  she  with  him  ;  now,  farewell.'  And  with  these  words 
the  Tsar  left  the  room,  without  having  glanced  at  or  spoken  to 
my  princess. 

And  thus  it  came  about  that  not  only  I,  but  also  my  beloved 
wife,  accompanied  Chancellor  from  Moscow,  and  leaving  our  little 


24  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

ones  with  Yermak  to  be  carefully  brought  to  Perm,  to  be  tended 
by  our  own  people  there,  we  took  ship  with  the  English  boyar 
upon  his  great  vessel,  the  Edward  Bonaventura,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  our  lives  found  ourselves,  presently,  out  of  sight  of  land, 
and  plunging  up  and  down  upon  the  bosom  of  great  waves  in  a 
manner  that  was,  at  the  first,  extremely  unpleasant,  causing  a 
sensation  of  great  discomfort  and  sickness. 

The  English  Tsar  Edward  was  dead  when  we  arrived  in  his 
country,  but  the  reigning  Tsaritsa  Mary  was  pleased  to  receive 
Chancellor  with  favour,  and  to  extend  her  grace  also  to  my 
princess  and  myself.  Both  she  and  the  Tsar  Philip,  her  husband, 
and  all  their  Court  were  greatly  surprised  at  the  loveliness  of  my 
wife  and  at  her  skill  in  horsemanship,  in  which  she  far  excelled 
all  the  English  ladies  who  took  part  with  her  in  the  hunting  of 
the  deer  and  foxes,  which  is  a  favourite  sport  of  the  English 
people,  though  I  found  it  very  tame  after  my  wolf-chasing  and 
bear-spearing  expeditions. 

Chancellor  returned  to  Russia  after  the  winter  was  past,  and 
we  of  course  accompanied  him.  He  bore  with  him  the  ookaz 
of  the  English  Tsaritsa,  by  which  was  extended  to  Eussian  mer- 
chants the  right  to  trade  in  English  ports  in  return  for  the 
privileges  granted  by  my  master  Ivan  at  the  request  of  Chancellor 
to  English  merchants. 

Right  glad  was  my  Vera  to  return  in  safety  to  Perm  and  to 
her  babes,  and  indeed  she  had  informed  me  during  the  journey 
that  if  God  restored  her  this  time  in  safety  to  her  children,  she 
would  never  again  leave  them,  great  as  was  her  love  for  me ;  for 
the  place  of  the  mother  was  with  her  children,  and  if  the  father 
would  wander  he  must  wander  alone,  or  the  whole  family  must 
journey  together.  The  helpless  little  ones  must  not,  in  any  case, 
be  left  to  strangers  and  serfs  to  be  taken  care  of. 

Hence  when  Chancellor  returned  once  more  to  England, 
together  with  the  first  actual  Russian  ambassador,  Osip  Xepey,  I 
bade  farewell  to  my  tenderly  loved  wife  and  children,  and  sailed 
with  the  Embassy  for  London,  which  is  the  Moscow  of  the  English 
people.  I  have  thanked  Grod  night  and  morning  since  that  day 
that  it  was  put  into  my  mind  to  leave  Vera  and  her  babes  safely 
at  Perm  on  this  second  voyage,  for  a  terrible  storm  sank  two  of 
our  ships,  drove  a  third  upon  the  shore  of  Norway,  and  Chancellor, 
his  son,  Xepey  and  I,  in  the  Edward  Bonaventura,  were  cast 
ashore  upon  the  coast  of  Scotland,  where  Chancellor  and  his  son 
were  drowned. 


A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  25 

It  waa  my  good  fortune  to  save  the  ambassador,  Osip  Nepey, 
from  drowning  with  Chancellor.  I  was  swimming  to  the  shore 
when  I  caught  sight  of  his  agonised  face  among  the  breakers,  and 
was  just  in  time  to  give  him  that  timely  assistance  which  en- 
couraged him  at  a  desperate  moment  to  continue  struggling. 
Together  we  safely  reached  dry  land,  exhausted,  but  alive  and 
thankful  for  our  escape,  and  here  we  found  a  few  others  of  the 
Eussian  Embassy,  with  some  of  the  crew,  a  sadly  reduced  com- 
pany, with  whom  we  journeyed  to  London,  meeting  with  much 
unkindness  and  rough  treatment  from  the  savage  natives  of  the 
northern  portion  of  the  English  sovereign's  dominions. 

But  in  London  we  had  a  great  reception,  being  met,  when  still 
twelve  miles  away,  by  eighty  of  the  principal  merchants  of  that 
great  city,  all  of  whom  were  mounted  on  magnificent  horses  and 
wore  heavy  chains  of  gold.  We  were  allowed  to  enter  the  city  as 
though  we  were  great  generals  returning  in  triumph  from  some 
glorious  campaign,  rather  than  poor  shipwrecked  adventurers, 
robbed  of  all  we  possessed,  ragged  and  weary  and  travel-stained. 

The  King  and  Queen  received  us,  the  chief  merchant  or  mayor 
harangued  and  entertained  us,  a  guild  of  merchants,  called  '  The 
Drapers,'  feasted  us  so  well  that  not  one  of  us  but  was  sick  and 
sorry  on  the  morrow ;  and  all  with  whom  we  came  in  contact  Wed 
in  showing  us  kindness  and  honour. 

On  our  return  to  Eussia,  I  received  a  letter  from  the  Tsar,  a 
good  and  gracious  letter,  in  which  my  master  said  that  I  had  done 
well  in  saving  his  ambassador  from  drowning,  and  that  he  would 
remember  this  service  to  my  credit. 

'  Thou  knowest  by  this  time,'  he  wrote,  '  what  things  please 
and  what  displease  me  ;  thou  knowest  also  where  the  tempter 
strikes  when  he  would  triumph  over  me.  Is  it  a  great  thing  that 
thou  shouldst  be  on  my  side  in  this  day  of  my  repentance  ?  Woe 
to  thee  if  thou  become  to  me  an  occasion  for  stumbling  ! ' 

I  did  not  altogether  comprehend  this  mystic  communication  ; 
but  when  I  asked  Vera  what  she  made  of  it,  she  laughed  and 
said  : 

1  It  means,  my  soul,  that  when  next  you  journey  to  Moscow, 
you  are  to  leave  me  at  home  ;  and  that  the  Tsar  is  still  a  man, 
even  though,  as  he  is  so  fond  of  boasting,  he  has  married  an  angel 
from  heaven  ! ' 


26  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE, 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE   STROGAXOF    DESTINY   IS    FULFILLED. 

There  came  with  us  from  England  a  certain  merchant  navigator, 
called  Jenkinson,  who  was  the  finest  Englishman  I  have  met  with. 
This  man  carried  in  his  heart  an  enterprise  which,  when  he 
revealed  to  me  his  intentions,  delighted  me  beyond  measure,  and 
in  which  I  then  and  there  determined  to  take  a  share. 

This  was  to  descend  the  Volga  to  Astrakhan,  cross  the  great 
inland  sea  called  the  Caspian,  and  journey  with  caravan  and  goods 
for  barter  to  the  far-away  city  of  Bokhara.  This  journev  we 
actually  accomplished,  though  we  most  narrowly  escaped  massacre, 
and  did,  in  fact,  lose  the  greater  part  of  our  followers  through  the 
treachery  of  the  heathens  and  savages  of  that  country.  But 
Jenkinson  and  I  and  a  few  others  fought  our  way  safely,  with  our 
camels  and  possessions,  out  of  the  ambush  they  had  prepared  for 
us,  Jenkinson  fighting  like  a  lion,  and  I,  if  I  may  make  such  a 
boast,  doing  also.  I  think,  my  share,  and  so  we  returned  in  safety 
to  our  own  side  of  the  Caspian. 

After  this  great  enterprise  I  returned  with  Jenkinson  to  Eng- 
land, taking  my  family  with  me. 

The  great  Tsaritsa  Elizabeth  was  now  the  reigning  sovereign 
in  that  country,  and  at  her  Court  my  wife  and  I  were  well  treated, 
and  learned  to  love  the  English  people,  and  to  admire  them  no 
less  than  love  them,  for  their  bold,  adventurous  spirit  was  that 
which  above  all  other  things  attracted  both  Vera  and  myself,  and 
among  these  hardy  islanders  we  found  plenty  of  it.  Here  I 
learned  the  art  of  the  sword  and  became,  as  I  have  hinted,  a  master 
fencer.  And  here  my  boys  learned  many  valuable  lessons  of  self- 
control  and  endurance,  boxing  and  battling  with  other  children  of 
their  age  and  playing  in  various  hardy  English  games  unknown  to 
our  boys  in  Russia. 

My  Vera  was,  naturally,  a  favourite  everywhere ;  but  there  was 
one  lady  of  the  Court,  a  relative  of  the  Queen  herself,  by  name 
Mary  Hastings,  who  resembled  my  princess  so  greatly  that  the 
two  were  actually  occasionally  mistaken  for  one  another. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  I  had  imparted  to  the  English 
Tsaritsa  as  much  as  I  considered  warrantable,  in  discretion,  of  the 
events  connected  with  my  own  Tsar's  choice  of  a  bride  and  of  his 
undoubted  fascination  by  my  beautiful  wife,  whom  I  said  I 
believed  he  would  have  chosen  as  Tsaritsa,  but  for  my  petition  to 


A   BOVAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  27 

him,  before  the  selection,  to  spare  me  my  only  hope  of  happiness, 
and  perhaps  also  partly  on  account  of  Vera's  unconcealed  aversion 
for  him. 

'Why,  then,  cousin,'  said  the  Queen  to  -Alary  Hastings,  laugh- 
ing, '  here  is  a  chance  for  thee  !  Wilt  thou  be  Tsaritsa  of  Russia  ? 
Thou  and  this  Russian  princess  are  like  twin-sisters.' 

Alary  Hastings  made  a  grimace  ;  for,  if  the  truth  be  told,  my 
Vera  had  painted  the  Tsar  in  colours  which  did  not  present  an 
attractive  picture  of  my  master. 

'But  the  Tsar  is  no  longer  a  bachelor,  your  Majesty,'  said  I; 
'  he  was  married  to  the  Romanof  Tsaritsa  eleven  years  ago.' 

'  Keep  thy  eyes  open,  nevertheless,  Alary,"  said  the  Queen  ; 
1  Tsaritsas  of  Russia  are  not  immortal,  and  if  this  one  dies  thou 
mayest  yet  >it  upon  a  throne  that  is  higher  than  mine  ! ' 

'  From  all  I  hear  of  him,'  said  Alary  Hastings,  grimacing  once 
again,  '  the  husband  you  propose  for  me  would  play  a  pretty  dog 
to  my  cat  ! ' 

'  Or  cat  to  thy  mouse ! '  added  the  Queen ;  '  nevertheless,  a 
crown  is  a  crown,  even  though  it  sit  heavy  on  the  temples.' 

I  have  set  down  this  conversation  because  it  has  a  bearing 
upon  after  events,  to  which  I  must  presently  refer. 

We  lived  in  England  a  year  and  more  at  this  visit,  and  when 
we  returned  at  length  to  our  home  in  Russia  jwe  found  sad  news 
awaiting  us. 

The  good  Tsaritsa,  Anastasia  Romanovna,  was  dead !  The 
Tsar,  mad  with  grief  and  rage,  had  quarrelled  with  Adashef  and 
Sylvester,  his  right  hand  and  his  left,  and  had  chased  both  these 
good  men  from  his  presence. 

Deprived  of  their  influence  and  of  their  counsels,  and  of  the 
soothing,  controlling  sympathy  of  his  wife,  my  poor  master  was 
lost  indeed.  He  embarked  forthwith  into  quarrels  of  every  kind 
— with  his  people  and  his  boyars,  as  well  as  with  foreign  powers. 
He  engaged  simultaneously  in  two  warlike  enterprises,  the  one 
against  Islam,  represented  by  the  Khan  of  the  Crimea  ;  the  other 
against  the  Livonian  Order,  who  were  assisted  by  the  Poles.  For 
a  short  while  things  went  well  with  the  Russian  hosts,  but 
presently  a  run  of  ill-luck  set  in,  and  with  it  a  renewal  of  the  un- 
governable, savage  phase  of  my  poor  master's  temper.  I  cannot 
set  down  the  atrocities  which  he  committed  at  this  time  during 
his  quarrels  with  the  boyars  and  people  of  his  realm  ;  but  I  may 
mention  that  there  was  a  list  of  nearly  3,500  victims  to  his 
passion  to  be  seen  in  a  synodical  letter  from  the  Tsar  to  the 


28  A   BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

Monastery  of  St.  Cyril,  in  which  document  the  prayers  of  the 
Church  were  asked  for  the  soul  of  each  of  these  persons. 

I  make  no  excuse  for  the  Tsar,  excepting  such  as  I  have 
already  put  forward  at  the  beginning  of  these  records.  His  passion, 
when  indulged  to  the  full,  amounted  to  insanity ;  and  I  prefer  to 
think  of  my  dead  master  as,  during  those  years  of  terror,  scarcely 
answerable  for  his  actions.  Feeling  himself  to  be  so  completely 
dominated  by  his  passion,  at  this  time,  that  he  could  not  hope 
to  exercise  a  patient  and  equitable  sway  over  his  people,  the 
Tsar  abdicated  (in  1564)  ;  but  the  boyars— knowing  that  if  the 
government  were  left  to  themselves,  the  bad  would  become 
infinitely  worse — prevailed  upon  him  to  reconsider  his  decision, 
with  the  result  that  Ivan  entered  upon  a  veritable  reign  of  blood- 
shed, and  visited  upon  the  boyars  their  offence  in  compelling  an 
insane  man  to  govern  them  against  his  will,  by  ruthlessly 
slaughtering  both  them  and  their  families. 

Also,  knowing  that  he  had  now  many  enemies  within  the  realm, 
the  Tsar  corresponded  with  the  English  Queen  Elizabeth,  entreat- 
ing at  her  hands  a  safe  asylum  within  her  country  in  case  it 
should  be  necessary  for  him  at  any  time  to  suddenly  flee  his  own, 
and  offering  her  equivalent  privileges  of  sanctuary  in  Russia,  if 
she  should  quarrel  with  her  own  subjects.  But  the  Queen,  know- 
ing her  popularity  with  her  people,  gladly  agreed  to  give  this 
conscience-stricken  Tsar  asylum,  while  repudiating  a  correspond- 
ing privilege  for  herself  as  entirely  unnecessary. 

Meanwhile  the  struggle  with  Livonia  continued,  and  our 
Eussian  troops  were  once  more,  for  a  while,  successful,  so  that  the 
power  of  the  Order  was  crushed  and  broken,  and  the  fortresses  of 
the  Baltic  coast  were  one  by  one  captured  by  our  armies.  In  all 
these  fights,  I,  Alexander  Stroganof,  took  my  share,  and  was  some- 
times in  the  favour  of  the  Tsar,  and  sometimes  out  of  it.  But  by 
reason  of  these  other  more  important  occupations,  I  saw  less  of 
Yermak  during  these  years,  and  was  obliged  on  more  than  one 
occasion  to  miss  my  two-yearly  appointment  with  him. 

It  was  while  Ivan's  armies  were  absent  upon  these  Livonian 
wars  that  a  dreadful  calamity  happened  to  the  nation.  The 
Crimean  Khan  Devlet  Gfherei  suddenly  appeared  before  Moscow, 
burned  the  great  city  to  the  ground,  and  carried  away  one  hundred 
thousand  captives  of  all  classes  of  the  people. 

Though,  in  the  following  year,  our  general,  Vorotinsky,  exacted 
a  terrible  vengeance  upon  this  Mussulman  and  his  armies,  yet 
matters  from  this  time  onward  went  all  awry  for  my  master.     His 


A   l>0  YAK   OF  THE    TERRIBLE.  co 

candidature  for  the  throne  of  Poland  was  repudiated  with  scorn, 
and  the  French  Duke  of  Anjou,  brother  of  the  King  of  Franco, 
was  chosen  instead.  Our  armies  began  to  suffer  defeat  in  the 
Baltic  provinces — everything  went  wrong  with  the  Tsar:  it  was 
as  though  the  curse  of  an  evil  destiny  were  upon  him.  Above  all, 
of  those  matters  which  especially  angered  the  Tsar  at  this  time, 
my  master  was  unsuccessful  also  in  a  different  kind  of  enterprise. 
The  new  Russian  ambassador  to  England,  Pisemskv,  in  an  inter- 
view with  the  Tsar,  happened  to  mention  the  fact  that  at  the  Court 
of  her  English  Majesty  was  one  who  was  known  as  the  twin-sister 
of  the  boyarinya  Stroganof. 

'  Wherefore?'  asked  the  Tsar,  frowning  angrily;  for  even  now, 
after  twenty  years  and  more,  he  could  not  bear  the  mention  of  my 
beautiful  Vera's  name,  and  in  my  rare  interviews  with  him  I  never 
dared  to  speak  of  my  domestic  affairs. 

'  Because,'  said  Pisemsky,  '  the  English  lady  and  the  Stroganof 
boyarinya  are  marvellously  alike,  as  every  one  who  sees  them 
together  cannot  fail  to  observe.' 

'  Is  this  English  princess,  then,  beautiful  ? '  asked  the  Tsar, 
musingly. 

'  Lovely  as  the  day,'  said  the  other  ;  '  to  be  like  the  Stroganova 
she  must  be  that.' 

When  the  Tsar  heard  this  he  lost  little  time,  but  sent  an 
ambassador  straight  to  the  English  Queen,  proposing  an  alliance 
between  himself  and  her  cousin,  Mary  Hastings. 

But  Mary  Hastings  would  none  of  him.  In  this  she  was  like 
her  '  twin-sister,'  my  Vera,  that  she  had  no  ambition  to  be  the 
Tsaritsa  of  Russia,  but  preferred  rather  to  move  in  a  less  glorious 
sphere,  so,  only,  that  she  might  have  her  share  of  domestic  hap- 
piness and  the  peace  of  private  life. 

This  so  greatly  enraged  my  master,  the  Tsar,  that  the  whole 
fabric  of  commercial  relations  so  happily  and  laboriously  built  up 
between  Russia  and  England  was  in  great  danger  of  collapsing 
entirely ;  and  the  terrible  Tsar  became  more  and  more  terrible  to 
his  boyars  and  his  people. 

But  the  indulgence  of  his  own  savage  spirit  could  not  mend 
for  Ivan  the  fortunes  of  his  realm,  and  gradually  the  Tsar  lost  his 
hold  upon  all  his  acquired  possessions  in  Livonia.  Batorv,  tin- 
successor  to  the  French  King  of  Poland,  who  did  not  stay  long 
away  from  France — Batory,  with  the  aid  of  Swedes  and  Hunga- 
rian mercenaries,  made  so  fierce  an  onslaught  upon  certain  Russian 
towns  that  there  was  danger  of  the  dismemberment  of  the  empire, 


3o  A  BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE. 

and  a  disastrous  peace  was  made,  by  which  Ivan  lost  all  that  he 
had  formerly  acquired,  and  more  also. 

It  was  just  at  this  crisis,  that  one  clay  as  I  sat  with  my  ever- 
honoured  and  beloved  wife  and  my  grown  boys  at  home  in  Perm, 
my  uncle  being  by  this  time  a  very  aged  man,  though  my  brothers 
were  still  active — as  we  sat  together  at  supper  the  door  was 
suddenly  and  violently  pushed  open,  and  in  rushed  Yermak  in  a 
state  of  alarm  and  agitation. 

He  had  been  hunted,  he  said,  by  the  Tsar's  troops,  from  the 
Volga  to  the  Kama,  and  had  with  difficulty  made  his  way  to  Perm. 
He  was  an  outlaw  at  this  time,  and  in  dire  disgrace  with  the 
angry  Tsar,  whom  he  had  offended  by  levying  tribute  from  certain 
towns  which,  having  paid  Yermak,  were  therefore  unable  to  pay 
the  Tsar  also. 

'  Yermak,'  I  said,  '  come  !  we  will  go  across  the  Urals  and  con- 
quer Siberia  for  our  poor  Tsar :  who  knows  !  it  may  be  that  the 
time  has  come  to  fulfil  our  prophetic  destiny !  The  Tsar  has 
certainly  lost  many  of  his  western  possessions,  it  is  time  that  we 
took  the  East  in  our  hands  and  laid  it  at  his  feet ! '  I  spoke 
jestingly,  for  the  prophecy  had  been  so  long  delayed,  and  matters 
had  gone  so  hard  with  the  Tsar  and  all  that  was  his,  that  I  had  no 
real  hope  of  the  realisation  of  our  old  dreams  about  Siberia. 

But  Yermak  took  the  matter  very  seriously  indeed. 

'  Hide  me  and  my  men  in  one  of  your  salt  towns  for  a  while,' 
he  said,  '  and  as  the  heavens  are  above  us,  Sasha,  we  will  go  forth 
together  and  do  this  great  thing  ! '  I  laughed,  but  gave  Yermak 
the  sanctuary  he  sought ;  and,  hidden  safely  in  our  little  fortified 
town  of  Chernogor  on  the  slope  of  the  Urals,  that  great  captain 
(for  he  has  proved  himself  this)  collected  a  force  of  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  consisting  of  his  own  people  and  ours ;  and  with 
these  troops  under  our  two  selves,  Ivan  Koltso,  Nikita  Pan,  and 
one  or  two  other  leaders,  badly  armed,  badly  provisioned,  more  of 
a  rabble  than  an  army,  we  crossed  the  great  range,  and  entered  at 
once  upon  that  series  of  conquests  which  ended  in  a  marvellously 
short  space  of  time  in  the  subjugation  of  all  the  tribes  between 
the  Kama  and  the  Obi.  I  use  the  expression  '  short  space  of  time ' 
in  its  comparative  meaning  ;  we  were  indeed  nearly  three  years  in 
accomplishing  the  work  we  had  to  do,  and  alas  !  we  lost  our  great 
leader,  Yermak,  who  was  drowned  while  crossing  a  swollen  river, 
before  he  had  enjoyed  the  opportunity  of  reaping  the  fruits  of  his 
stupendous  services  in  the  forgiveness  and  gratitude  of  the  Tsar. 

As  for  me,  my  dear  master  took  me  from  this  moment  entirely 


A    BOYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.  $i 

into  his  favour.  In  that  new  crown  of  Siberia  was  forgotten  all 
that  had  served  to  sever  our  friendship  and  to  keep  us,  for  so 
many  Bad  years,  apart  one  from  the  other.  With  the  conquesl  of 
Siberia,  too,  began  a  new  and  brighter  epoch  for  the  poor  harassed 
Tsar;  and  the  day  which  saw  Ivan  Koltso  and  myself  and  one  or 
two  of  our  best  men  bring  to  the  Tsar  and  lay  at  his  feet,  as  it 
were,  the  keys  of  a  new  empire,  was  the  first  of  many  happy, 
peaceful  days,  harbingers  of  the  quiet  and  peaceful  end  of  the 
stormy  life  of  Ivan  Vasilitch. 

The  only  allusion  he  ever  made  to  my  beloved  wife  after  our 
full  reconciliation  was  on  the  day  of  his  death,  when  he  said  to  me, 
some  little  while  before  the  fatal  fit  seized  him — 

'  In  truth,  my  Stroganof,  I  think  there  is  only  one  boyar  in  my 
realm  towards  whom  I  have  frequently  if  not  consistently  behaved 
well,  and  that  is  one  whom  I  was  the  most  sorely  tempted  to  treat 
ill.     Dost  thou  know  who  this  is  ?  ' 

'  Alexander  Stroganof,'  I  replied,  believing  that  it  was  I  he 
meant,  though  there  might  be  those  who  thought  otherwise  as  to 
his  treatment  of  me. 

'  It  is  so,  indeed,'  he  said  ;  and  added,  '  I  am  old  now,  Sasha, 
and  thou  too;  we  are  grey  though  we  have  both  been  young  in 
our  day ;  but  young  or  old  I  have  never  loved  a  woman  save  once.' 

'The  Tsaritsa  Anastasia,'  I  said  weakly,  for  I  spoke  her  name 
without  conviction,  and  only  because  I  durst  not  say  another. 

'As  a  saint,'  said  Ivan,  'yes;  as  a  woman,  no!  Art  thou 
indeed  ignorant,  Sasha  ?  ' 

'  Alas  !  Tsar  Ivan,  if  this  be  indeed  so,  as  thou  sayest,'  I  cried. 
my  eyes  full  of  tears.  '  how  was  it  I  was  not  struck  dead,  as  thou 
hast  struck  not  one  but  many  of  those  who  have  offended  thee? 
"Why  was  I  spared  ?  ' 

'Xot  for  thy  own  salce,  Sasha/  said  the  Tsar,  smiling,  'though 
now  I  rejoice  that  thou  wert  man  enough  to  escape  out  of  my 
hand  when  my  passion  outran  my  generosity.' 

Nevertheless  the  Tsar  never  asked  to  see  Vera  again,  and  it  so 
happened  that  he  suddenly  died  on  this  very  day,  while  playing  at 
chess. 

And  so  perished  the  greatest  of  all  Russians  up  to  the  present 
time  ;  for  both  great  and  terrible  was  Ivan  Grosnui,  terrible  to  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact ;  yet  I  personally,  in  spite  of  many 
periods  of  deep  vexation  of  spirit  because  of  him  and  his  violence, 
I  personally  have  learned  to  see  in  my  dear  but  dread  master 
much  that  was  most  lovable  and  truly  noble, 


32  A  BGYAR   OF  THE   TERRIBLE.. 

Even  Vera,  my  ever  faithful  and  loving"  and  ever  beautiful 
wife,  believes,  since  I  reported  to  her  the  Tsar's  last  conversation 
with  me,  that  there  was  more  heroism  in  Ivan  Vasilitch  than  she 
had  thought  heretofore. 

'  He  spoke  the  truth,  my  soul,'  said  she  ;  '  he  has  treated  us 
well  according  to  his  lights.     God  give  him  a  heavenly  kingdom! ' 

And  to  this  prayer  I  say  fervently  every  day  of  my  life, 
'  Amen ! ' 


THE    END. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

RENEWALS  ONLY— TEL.  NO.  642-3405 

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(J9096sl0)476-A-32                       ^"*  c   Berkeley 

I 


